LAHORE: Lahore Capital City Police Officer Fayyaz Ahmad Dev was removed from the post on Tuesday and directed to report to the Establishment Division in Islamabad till further order.

The instructions have been issued to give additional charge of the CCPO to Lahore DIG Investigations Shahzada Sultan, said an official source.

The move came a few days after the Punjab government proposed Dev’s name for appointment as the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) in the panel of three officers. He was reportedly at the top of the panel, which was carrying two other names, former Islamabad IG Aamir Zulfiqar and National Highways & Motorway Police IG Inam Ghani.

The panel was formed on the recommendations of the PML-Q leaders, particularly, in consultation with Moonis Elahi, the official privy to the development told Dawn.

The PML-N leadership was also alerted that the both rival parties wanted to change the balance of power by making appointment of favourite officers on the two top slots of the province, the official said.

He said as the PML-N formed government in the Centre and Shehbaz Sharif became the prime minister, the Establishment Division raised objection to the summary that was carrying three names of senior police officers for the new IGP.

The division issued transfer orders of the CCPO and it was purely a decision of the new PM, the source said.

The notification issued for the removal of the CCPO was issued on Tuesday. Interestingly, through another notification issued the same day, the Punjab government also relieved him from his duties. A panel of three police officers will be sent to the government for posting as the Lahore CCPO.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2022