LAHORE: The new head of the Lahore operations police was appointed ‘purely’ on the recommendation of Punjab Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan, replacing Ahsan Younus, who could stay on the post just for a month, against the three-year tenure security provided for in the Police Order 2001.

Dr Mohammad Abid Khan assumed his charge as 9th Lahore police operations wing deputy inspector general (DIG) during over three-year rule of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government in Punjab. He was serving as Faisalabad CPO (city police officer) and was transferred and posted in Lahore on Sunday.

An official privy to the information told Dawn that the IGP had moved a summary comprising names of some police officers to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for the appointment of one of them as new operations DIG of Lahore. However, the IGP had given preference to BS-20 officer Dr Mohammad Abid Raja for the post among the recommended officers.

The CM, however, held the appointment process for a week or so when he was informed by his advisers that Dr Abid had not been “accommodating” the PTI leaders and workers when he was serving as Faisalabad CPO, the official said.

The advisers also told Mr Buzdar about the specific complaints of some party parliamentarians from Faisalabad against Dr Abid, he added.

He said the IGP, however, defended the officer’s appointment in Lahore, saying he was one of the “finest” officers available in DIG rank in the province, the official said.

He said other competitors for the slot included Sajid Kiani and Jehanzeb Nazir Khan.

However, he said, the chief minister picked Dr Abid for Lahore operations DIG slot on the ‘personal guarantee’ of IGP Rao Sardar Ali Khan.

Mr Kiani, who was serving as Punjab operations DIG, has been transferred and posted as Rawalpindi CPO on his own wish as his family was living close to his place of posting.

Meanwhile, Lahore continues to be one of the most vulnerable districts with regard to security of tenure for police officers given the frequent and premature transfers, since the PTI came into power.

The section 15 of the Police Order 2002 categorically provides for three-year posting period for city police officer (CPO) and the district police officer (DPO) so that the officers could have ample time to understand the local law and order issues, crime pattern etc for better policing.

The section 15 (2) of the Police Order 2002 says, “The term of office of City Police Officer or District Police Officer, as the case may be, shall be three years from the date of his posting.”Contrary to the legal provision, none of the police officers earlier appointed head of the Lahore police operations wing during the last three and a half years could complete his tenure as per the Police Order 2002.

Dr Abid replaced Ahsan Younus who remained Lahore operations DIG only for one month -- from Nov 5 to Dec 7. Mr Younus has been posted as Islamabad IGP.

The other BS-20 police officers who could not stay as Lahore operations DIG for even a year included Shahzad Akbar, Waqas Nazir, Ashfaq Ahmad Khan, Rai Babar Saeed and Sajid Kiani, the officer said. Of them, Ashfaq Ahmad Khan was twice posted as Lahore operations DIG, but each time he was transferred prematurely.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2021