ISLAMABAD: After the passage of several weeks, the new inspector general of the Islamabad police, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, arrived at the Central Police Office to assume charge of the top office.

As expected, three senior police officers – DIG Security, DIG Headquarters, and Safe City Director General – did not attend the ceremony to welcome their new boss, who is junior to them.

Although all four officers have the same 20-grade (DIG), DIG Security Awais Ahmed and DIG Headquarters Hassan Raza are from CTP-29 and Safe City Authority DG Mohammad Shoaib is from CTP-30. IGP Rizvi is from CTP-31.

Sources told Dawn that the DIG Headquarters did not come to work on Monday apparently to avoid saluting the new police chief, since the offices of the IGP and the DIG were located on the same floor at the CPO.

On the other hand, Safe City DG Shoaib, whose office in the Safe City Authority Building is merely 400 metres from the CPO, remained at his office and did not appear at the CPO, apparently for the same reason. The DIG Security also did not attend the ceremony for the very same reason, the insiders claimed.

Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi was appointed the IGP on March 29 whereas then-IGP Akbar Nasir Khan relinquished the charge on March 30 in a ceremony in which IGP Rizvi was slated to assume the charge. These three DIGs did not attend that ceremony as well and instead went on a five-day leave approved by the outgoing IGP. These officials also approached the Islamabad chief commissioner for a 15-day leave, which was turned down.

In light of the appointment of the new IGP, these three officers are marking efforts to get them transferred from the Islamabad police as they do not want to “serve” under a junior officer, sources said, adding that if they have to appear before the new chief, they will not wear their uniform cap to avoid saluting him. Under the rules, an officer not wearing a cap will not salute the senior officer.

The police PRO confirmed that the DIG Headquarters did not attend his office, while the DG Safe City remained in his office and did not appear in the ceremony and later before the IGP. The DIG Security was busy with the security measures for the visiting foreign delegation. The PRO expressed ignorance about the DIGs’ alleged efforts to seek leave or transfer from the capital police. He also did not know if the DIG Headquarters was on leave as he did not attend the office on Monday.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2024