LAHORE: Bahawalnagar District Police Officer Zafar Buzdar has been removed from his post and he has been made the officer on special duty (OSD). A relative of former chief minister Usman Buzdar, the officer was removed from his post on the day when Hamza Shahbaz took oath as the CM.

An official, privy to the development, declared it a political move as Zafar Buzdar was on the list of the police officers who were likely to be transferred by the Sharif family after coming into power in the province. He said the CM Secretariat issued directions to the Central Police Office (CPO) to immediately remove Zafar Buzdar from his post for being a close relative of the former CM.

A notification, issued here on Saturday, said Bahawalnagar DPO Zafar Buzdar (BS-18) has been transferred and directed to report to the CPO till further order.

Bahawalngar SP Investigation Farooq Ahmad Anwar has been given the charge of the DPO of the district till the posting of a regular incumbent. The official, however, dispelled the impression that the Punjab government had ordered any inquiry against Zafar Buzdar, saying that he might be given a non-field assignment some weeks later.

To a question, he said CM Hamza Shahbaz had also called IG Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan for an important meeting today (Sunday). He said that the issue of reshuffle in Punjab was likely to be discussed in the meeting besides the matters related to the security across the province.

Zafar Buzdar, according to some reports, had a background in the traffic police and it was his first posting as the DPO.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2022