LAHORE: The woman police officer has finally relinquished her charge as district police officer (DPO) Layyah due to the ‘persistent pressure’ mounted by the Punjab Chief Minister Secretariat on the police department to ensure implementation of her transfer order.

She took the ‘unwanted step’ when the Central Police Office (CPO) ‘succumbed to the pressure’ of the Chief Minister Secretariat to ‘please’ the political leadership of the district.

The woman police officer visited her office when she got a call to follow the ‘order’ and relinquished charge as head of the Layyah district police.

The police circles declared it a ‘humiliating retreat’ saying that the CPO’s decision has belittled years-long efforts of granting autonomy to the Punjab police chief.

An official said the premature removal of first woman police officer from her post who belonged to the under-privileged Balochistan province has kicked off a debate in the Police Service of Pakistan (PSPs).

He said the ‘unceremonious transfer’ of the woman police official to ‘please the influentials’ was not only a sheer violation of the Police Order 2002 but also a ‘glaring message’ for her colleagues that the balance of power has tilted to the CM secretariat to get postings of choice.

Weeks after her appointment as DPO Layyah, the official said, some political leaders had asked the CM Secretariat to replace Shazia Sarwar with a male officer.

Sharing details, he said, the local political leaders had asked the DPO for police support in a matter of the ‘disputed desert land’.

However, she had refused them declaring it a sub-judice matter and suggested them to wait for the final verdict of the court in this respect.

Following the weeks-long differences on the issue, the local political leaders managed to get her transferred from the district.

He said the senior police officers from CPO and the South Punjab additional IG had strongly resisted the government’s decision to remove and make Layyah DPO Shazia Sarwar official on special duty (OSD).

Until last Sunday, the official said, they were in contact with acting Inspector General of Police Punjab Kunwar Shahrukh to secure the posting of Ms Shazia.

He said the police officers had pushed the acting IG to take a firm stand in the best interest of the police force.

The officials were also of the view that the ‘grounds’ the Punjab government had made to remove her were condemnable and would strengthen local ‘land grabbers’ who were allegedly trying to occupy the property of the poor people in Layyah.Setting aside the concerns of the police officers, the acting IG asked her to relinquish charge as DPO Layyah on Monday morning, the official source said.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2022