LAHORE, April 4: Three former inspectors-general of Punjab police (IGPs) are reportedly using nine costly official vehicles besides claiming their fuel and maintenance cost, it is learnt.

Sources in the provincial government told Dawn that the use of vehicles and petrol were being ‘justified’ by the lower staff through fake entries for they could not dare object to the wrongdoings of the police bureaucracy. “But everyone knows who is using which vehicle.”

According to sources, the practice was first adopted by former IG Jehanzeb Burki who kept in his possession an official car (LRZ-2051) when he was transferred at the time of the dismissal of Shahbaz Sharif’s government in October 1999. He has, since then, been claiming petrol from the police department. “Till now he has claimed petrol worth Rs700,000,” sources said.

Mr Burki was succeeded by Rafiq Haider as the IGP, but he did not retrieve the car from his former boss. Mr Haider did not, however, himself follow the practice, but the facility allowed to Mr Burki prompted others to have the free ride with even more freedom.

Former IGP Maj Ziaul Hasan (retired) reportedly retained two new cars (LWE 9756 and LRM 4660), a double-cabin carrier (LEG 5003) and a jeep (LEG 4973).

Former IG Ahmad Naseem, who opted for pre-mature retirement soon after the announcement of the election results in February this year, also reportedly kept in his possession two cars (LWE 9740 and LEG 1057), a jeep (LEG 1132) and an unregistered double-cabin.

Ahmad Naseem is now a member of the Punjab Public Service Commission, which also offers him hefty pay package and other perks.

The total cost of the eight vehicles being kept by Ziaul Hasan and Ahmad Naseem is approximately Rs20 million.

Sources said petrol/diesel worth Rs15,000 per vehicle per month is also being claimed by the retired officers. The sources were not sure of the number of official drivers working with them. But they believed that their number should match the number of vehicles.

They said the misuse of the vehicles indicated that the top police leadership was negating the concept of austerity and self-discipline. Under the government rules these vehicles and the cost of the petrol should be claimed from those using them without any entitlement.

Vehicles used by police are the property of the provincial government. Under the rules they are for official purpose only and cannot be kept in private use by any former officer, not even the former IGP.

Under the S&GAD rules, a former IGP can get a staff car for a maximum period of three days during stay at the Punjab Houses in Islamabad and Karachi. He can also avail pick and drop facilities at the Lahore and Islamabad airports with protocol.

The rules also provide that a former IGP can have only a gunman from the provincial police for lifetime. But sources claimed that the former IGPs were keeping five to seven police guards each at a time when the police department needed more manpower to combat lawlessness.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the provincial government has started checking as to how many official vehicles are being used by former and transferred DMG officers.

“Lists are being prepared and the unauthorized vehicles will be withdrawn,” a senior official told Dawn.

Without naming anyone else, he said some other former IGPs and a DIG were also using official cars illegally.