Lahore: In yet another reshuffle across the province, the Punjab government posted new heads of investigation and operations wings of Lahore police and changed six regional police officers (RPOs), making some senior officers OSD [officer on special duty] here on Thursday.

There were reports that transfers of district police officers (DPOs) are likely as the government is preparing a list of police officials of choice to give them important field appointments keeping in view the ‘volatile’ political scenario.

An official privy to the development said the PML-N government was under immense pressure exerted by its parliamentarians to make appointment of those police officers who were ‘neglected’ during the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf dispensation in the province.

He said decision of most of the transfers and postings in top police rank in Punjab was being made at the prime minister and the chief minister secretariats.

Some senior officials made OSD; reports suggest DPOs are likely to be changed

Inspector General (IG) of Police Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan was also taken on board in some new appointments but most of them were decided at the government level.

Recently, the official said, the postings of new Lahore police chief and the additional IG special branch Punjab were the two key appointments which were made purely at the prime minister level.

About the reshuffle made on Thursday, he said, the appointment of DIGs of investigation and operations Lahore was the major development as the government was finding it hard to fill these slots because [earlier] two DIGs had refused to be posted as the head of the operations wing in the provincial capital.

The Punjab government transferred DIG Telecommunication & Transport Punjab retired Capt Sohail Chaudhry and posted him new DIG Operations Lahore on Thursday. He is holding this assignment for the second time.

Earlier, he was transferred from Faisalabad when he was serving there as city police officer and posted as DIG Operations Lahore in August 2021.

However, Mr Chaudhry’s posting in Lahore was made for the shortest period of around two months or so as he was prematurely transferred in the aftermath of agitation by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

Punjab Operations DIG Kamran Adil was transferred and posted as DIG investigation Lahore vice Shahzada Sultan who has already joined a promotion course.

It is the first field assignment of Mr Adil as, earlier, he has been serving against relatively low profile postings despite being a qualified officer.

The Punjab government transferred Imran Ahmar and posted him as new RPO Rawalpindi vice Ashfaq Ahmad Khan who has been directed to report to the Services & General Administration Department for further order.

Similarly, BS-20 police officer Imran Mahmood has been transferred and posted as RPO Sargodha vice Faisal Ali Rana who has proceeded abroad and joined the UN mission.

DIG Sohail Akhtar Sukhera, who was recently transferred from Sindh to Punjab, has been posted as new DIG Telecommunication and Transport Punjab.

Babar Sarfraz Alpa, awaiting posting, has been made RPO Faisalabad while Punjab Logistics DIG Tayyab Hafeez Cheema has been transferred and posted as new RPO Sahiwal vice Dr Moeen Masood who was made OSD.

Punjab police internal accountability branch DIG Raja Riffat Mukhtar has been transferred and posted as RPO Multan vice Javed Akbar Riaz who has been made OSD and directed to report to the S&GAD for further order.

Bahawalpur RPO Sher Akbar has been transferred and made OSD. Mr Mukhtar has been given additional charge of RPO Bahawalpur in addition to his own duties till posting of the regular incumbent.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2022