LAHORE: The `premature’ transfer of the Faisalabad region police officer (RPO) is said to be the outcome of his`rift’ with a ruling party’s powerful figure.

Sohail Sukhera was posted as the Faisalabad RPO 10 months ago. He was transferred and posted as Sargodha RPO on Thursday.An official privy to the matter said that the decision was taken at a high-level meeting during the presence of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and other officials concerned. He said Mr Sukhera was to join the 126th National Management Course (NMC), expected to commence in January 2027. He said the government ignored the request of Punjab police’s high command to allow him to retain Faisalabad RPO position until January.

Sharing the background of his transfer, the official claimed that a station house officer (SHO) of Faisalabad was allegedly dismissed from service following serious complaints and the decision had irked the senior political figure. He asked Sukhera to reinstate the SHO, citing some political reasons. The official said that the SHO was reinstated on his position but for a brief period because the RPO again dismissed him from service.

The government picked up DIG Inamur Rehman as new head of the Faisalabad region.

Similarly, the Punjab government also transferred Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Dogar, giving him a new assignment in the School of Intelligence in Lahore.

Meanwhile, more police officials were reshuffled on Thursday night, including DIG Zeeshan Asghar who was posted as Commandant of the Police Training College, Chuhng, Lahore, Asif Shehzad as DIG Information Technology at the Central Police Office and AIG Logistics Akhtar Farooq has been posted as new CPO of Multan.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2026