LAHORE: Following the Supreme Court’s verdict, the federal government has withdrawn its two notifications of transfer and suspension of the former Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, putting his services at the disposal of the Punjab caretaker government to take further decision for his appointment.

On Thursday, the federal government issued two new notifications wherein it declared that the Establishment Division has withdrawn its previous two orders issued in September and November of the last year regarding the transfer and suspension of Ghulam Mahmood Dogar.

Some experts say that in the wake of the Thursday’s notifications of the ED, Islamabad, it was the prerogative of the caretaker Punjab government to make further the posting of Mr Dogar against any position in the province in consultation with the Election Commission of Pakistan. They are of the view that the ECP may not agree with the ‘wish’ of Mr Dogar to be reinstated as CCPO Lahore following its policy to make postings of ‘non-controversial officers’ in the wake of the general election.

Puts Dogar’s services back at Punjab govt’s disposal after SC’s verdict

The matter of Mr Dogar’s appointment again came into the limelight when the SC declared the previous orders of the federal government against the rules and regulations.

Dogar had moved the Supreme Court against the order of the Establishment Division of his repatriation from Punjab and then suspension from service.

Headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan, the three-member bench, including Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Munib Akhtar, had on Friday last observed that the legal formalities were not followed while taking action against Dogar.

In the first notification issued on Sept 9, 2022, the federal government had recalled his services when he was at the disposal of the Punjab government. Later, on Nov 5, of the last year, it placed him under suspension, issuing another notification.

An official says that as the federal government withdrew its both previous notifications on Thursday, the chances of Mr Dogar getting back his earlier post of the Lahore police chief improved. However, he adds, it depends on the caretaker government in Punjab to take ultimate decision about the next posting of Dogar as, according to the ED’s Thursday notification, his services have again been put at the disposal of the provincial government.

The official says the caretaker government is discussing the matter at the high level involving the legal and senior police officers to further understand the legal and administrative perspective to decide the fate of Dogar.

He says Dogar (BPS-21) has been at the centre of the feud between the PML-N and PTI after he lodged cases against the senior PML-N leaders in Lahore when he was heading the provincial capital police. He says the controversies further dragged the officer when he reportedly went to the then Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and a picture and a video clip in this regard went viral on social media.

The video clip had shown Mr Elahi lauding the action of Mr Dogar saying he as a CM Punjab would not let the government to transfer him (Dogar).

Declaring Mr Dogar the blue-eyed officer of the PTI chief and Pervez Elahi, the federal government not only recalled him from Punjab but also suspended him from the service alleging that as Lahore police chief, he could not take security measures when the PTI workers attacked the Governor’s House.

Since then, the matter of the police officer’s transfer and suspension was in litigation that started from the Lahore High Court to the Federal Services Tribunal and then to the Supreme Court where he had challenged the action of the federal government against him.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2023