LAHORE: A day after making the transfer/posting of 55 police officers, the Punjab police department reshuffled 42 more officers across the province.

Of these officers, 24 were the deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) while others were SSPs and SPs.

The large-scale transfers/postings of nearly 97 police officers within two days have kicked off a new debate in the police circles that term the moves as political victimisation.

On the other hand, the inspector general of police (IGP) has reappointed those SPs who were removed from their posts from Lahore on Sunday in the wake of the May 25 Azadi March of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). They were made officers on special duty (OSDs) on the complaints of the PTI leadership with directions that they should not be posted anywhere in the province. Some police circles consider the move risky as reposting of the officers may offend the ruling elite.

The IGP has reportedly conveyed to the Punjab government that any action against the police officers on political grounds might cause unrest among the force.

He posted Akhlaqullah Khan as Sargodha Investigations SP, Waqar Azeem, awaiting posting, as Gujranwala Saddar Division SP and Rizwan Tariq as SP Gujranwala Civil Lines Division against vacancies. These police officers were earlier serving in Lahore as divisional SPs.

The IGP also cancelled the transfer order of Lahore Cantt Operations Hamza Amanullah, a day after his appointment and posted him as Saddar Division Operations SP. According to Sunday’s notification, Mr Hamza has replaced Essa Sukhera.

Nadeem Hussain, awaiting posting, has been posted as CTD investigations SSP, Lahore PC Battalion Commander Riffat Haidar Bukhari has been posted as Lahore headquarters traffic SP, Rana Tahir Rehman Khan has been posted as Lahore PC Battalion Commander, SP Dr Anoosh Masood Chaudhry has been transferred and posted as Special Protection Unit deputy director, Bahawalpur CTD SP Mazhar Iqabal has been posted as Rawalpindi investigations SSP etc.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2022