LAHORE: The sudden posting of Lahore operations police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ali Nasir Rizvi as new Islamabad inspector general of police by the federal government has prompted Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to call an important meeting to decide whether to relieve Mr Rizvi from the province or not.

The notification of appointment of BS-20 officer DIG Ali Nasir Rizvi was issued by the Establishment Division, Islamabad, on March 29.

According to sources, as Mr Rizvi’s appointment has been made withouttaking on board the chief minister, the Punjab government is reluctant to relieve him for his new assignment in the federal capital so far.An official privy to the development says Ms Nawaz expressed her displeasure over the abrupt decision taken while bypassing the provincial government when she was briefed that the provincial police was finding it hard to have a suitable replacement for Mr Rizvi as Lahore operations chief as it could shatter the team of police officers who were striving to bring down the crime rate and maintain security in the provincial capital, especially during Ramazan.

He says the chief minister was also informed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had been instrumental in the the appointment of Mr Rizvi as Islamabad IG.

Interior minister is behind the appointment, Maryam was told

During the meeting, the official says, the chief minister was also given a presentation regarding the lower crime rate in Lahore during this March, as compared to that of the same month the last year. She was told that in March 2023, the city witnessed 4,894 heinous crimes, including murders, robberies, thefts and vehicle lifting etc, while the figure dropped to 3,060 such cases during this March.

The official says the federal authorities had also proposed transfer of two other police officers from Punjab -- Hamza Amanullah, the personal staff officer of the IGP Dr Usman Anwar and Lahore SSP Operations Ali Raza --- for their postings in Islamabad police. Of them, Hamza Amannullah refused to join Islamabad police, requesting the IGP to retain him in Punjab. The IGP accepted the request, the official adds.

The IGP has ordered shortlisting the DIGs available in the province to find the replacement of Mr Rizvi as Lahore operations DIG, he says, adding that Dr Usman will give a presentation to the chief minister on the issue in a meeting to be held on Monday (today).

He says after thoroughly discussing the issue at the meeting, a final decision will be taken with regard to relieving Mr Rizvi and appointing the new DIG operations in Lahore.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2024