LAHORE: As a tussle between Sindh police Inspector General Kalim Iman and the PPP-led provincial government on the issue of transfer of some senior police officers makes headlines, the Punjab police chief is also facing a similar situation when it comes to appointing officers of his own choice in the province.

In a move that must have surprised the newly-appointed Punjab IGP Shoib Dastgir, if not shocked him, the federal government transferred six police officers from the province without seeking his consent. And these officers include the IGP’s then personal staff officer (PSO) Abdul Qadir Qamar, who is now traffic (headquarters) SSP, Punjab.

The IGP took up the issue with Islamabad through the Punjab government for the cancellation of all the transfer orders, an official privy to the development told Dawn.

The official says transfer of an IGP’s PSO without consulting him is considered as an ‘insult’ to the provincial police chief and sends a message of his ‘weak command’.

Police chief’s ex-PSO among them

He said before appointment as IGP Punjab it had been claimed that Mr Dastgir had been given a ‘free hand’, particularly with regard to transfer/posting matters to lead the largest police force.

He said that after premature transfer of his predecessor retired Capt Arif Nawaz, the PM had entrusted Mr Dastgir with introducing “historic” police reforms, giving him an assurance that no one from any quarter would intervene in his official matters.

The official lamented that however, the illusion of new IG’s “independence” shattered soon after he assumed the charge when he was conveyed that the transfer/posting matters were still not his domain and would be decided ‘somewhere in [political] power corridors’.

It is evident from the official correspondence between the new IGP and the provincial government, he said.

The establishment division had transferred six police officers, including a BS-21 officer, from Punjab to the FIA some two weeks back. They are: additional IGP (Investigation) Punjab Abu Bakr Khuda Baksh, Lahore senior superintendent of police (SSP) Admin Athar Waheed, PSO to the IGP Abdul Qadir Qamar, additional inspector general (finance) Dr Asif Shahzad, Counter Terrorism Department SSP (intelligence) Atif Akram and SSP, CTD.

According to the official, the Mr Dastgir took up the issue with the federal government showing his concern over being bypassed in this respect.

On finding the federal government unmoved, Mr Dastgir brought the matter to the notice of the Punjab government through official correspondence, to get the transfer orders cancelled.

Mr Dastgir was of the view that the Punjab police department was already facing an acute shortage of officers, particularly in the rank of SPs and SSPs and transfer of more officers would aggravate the situation.

“It is intimated that against 90 sanctioned posts of BS-19 [in Punjab], currently 50 are posted, leaving a shortage of 40 police officers,” reads the IGP’s letter written to the Punjab additional chief secretary (services) some days back.

The IGP took stance in the letter that he was experiencing administrative and operational difficulties because of officers shortage. He also protested the transfers made without providing any substitute.

“In view of the above, it is requested that the establishment division, Islamabad, may be moved for the cancellation of the [transfer] orders of the police officers on account of the severe shortage in Punjab,” it further reads.

The official said on IGP’s insistence, the Punjab government cancelled the orders of only two officers -- Mr Qamar and Asif Shahzad -- saying the others would have to follow the directions of the PM secretariat.

Under these circumstances, the additional IGP (Investigation) relinquished his charge two days back to report to the establishment division for his next posting.

However, he said, the IGP had again requested the Punjab government a couple of days back to approach the federal government for cancellation of the transfer orders of other officers as well. The four under-transfer officers are still holding their posts, the official said.

He said earlier, the IGP had to withdraw the transfer orders of two officers when higher authorities from federal and Punjab governments intervened.

Punjab Additional IGP (Operations) Inam Ghani admitted the six police officers were transferred from the province by the establishment division without consulting the IGP.

“As the six police officers have been transferred by the establishment division Islamabad from the province, the Punjab authority has nothing to do with it”, he said and confirmed that orders of two of the six police officers had been cancelled on IGP’s request.

He said the Punjab police department was facing an acute shortage of police officers in senior grades.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2019