PML-N leader Malik Mohammad Ahmed Khan on Saturday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking to submit additional documents in an earlier petition challenging the appointment of Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umer Sheikh, who recently landed in hot water after his remarks shifting blame on the motorway gang-rape victim caused an uproar.

Ahmed is seeking the court's approval to submit additional evidence in the primary petition filed by him on Wednesday that challenged the Punjab government's decision to remove Shoaib Dastagir from the post of inspector general of police after he developed differences with the Lahore CCPO.

Ahmed's first petition in the LHC argued that pre-mature transfers in the police force violated the Police Order (2002) and the Punjab government's rules of business.

The petition urged the court to declare notifications regarding the appointment of the provincial police officer and Lahore CCPO as "unconstitutional".

On Tuesday, the federal government had appointed Inam Ghani as the new Punjab IGP — the sixth police chief of the province since the PTI came into power two years ago.

Dastagir had stopped working after Sheikh, who was posted as Lahore CCPO earlier this month, allegedly spoke against the provincial police chief (PPO) during a meeting with senior officers.

Dastagir reportedly later met the prime minister and the chief minister and sought a probe into the alleged misconduct by the new CCPO and appropriate action, asking to otherwise be transferred to another position.

The first hearing on the petition was held in the LHC on Sept 10 which was presided over by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan. The next hearing is scheduled for Sept 14.

Ahmed's latest petition stated that since the Sept 10 hearing, certain "critical facts" have come into public knowledge regarding the Lahore CCPO and his competence.

"The CCPO is allegedly 'corrupt financially and morally' and has been accused of misuse of authority by the Central Selection Board as a consequence [of which] his promotion was suppressed," it read.

The petition also refers to the CCPO's recent remarks on the motorway incident implying that the victim shared responsibility for her rape, terming it a demonstration of his "deep-rooted misogyny and incompetence".

"A few days after [Sheikh's] appointment he committed insubordination of his superior IG and passed derogatory remarks against his superiors and later demonstrated deep-rooted misogyny and incompetence when he blamed a rape victim for her rape on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway," the petition stated.

"The performance of the CCPO is ample evidence for the petitioners that the provincial government has not exercised its discretion reasonably and justly while appointing the CCPO," it added.

Ahmed requested the court to allow the submission of several news reports related to the CCPO, including about a declaration signed by senior police officers seeking action against him, dismissal of a report by the Intelligence Bureau regarding his alleged corruption and about a demand by civil society and rights activists for his removal.

The petition, which will be heard by the LHC on Monday, requests the court to allow the submission of these documents and suspend the notification of the CCPO's appointment.

'Politicising the police force'

The earlier petition said that the Punjab government instead of implementing the Police Order (2002) had "further politicised the police force and shown the door to recalcitrant and independent-minded officers without any regard for their independence and tenure protected by the law".

"The Punjab government has changed six IGs in two years and the average tenure is four months," it stated. "The frequent and arbitrary transfers of senior-most officials send a wave of resentment among the police community." The application also noted that three CCPOs have been posted and transferred in the last two years.

The petition urged the court to declare notifications regarding the appointment of the provincial police officer and the CCPO as "unconstitutional".

It also urged the court to declare that the provincial government should appoint a CCPO only on the recommendation of the provincial police chief.