LAHORE, June 13: A former inspector general of Pakistan Railways has refused to return the official car that had been in his unauthorised possession for over a year.

The policemen deployed at the residence of retired inspector-general of PR police Syed Asghar Raza Gardezi also seized the cellular phones of the police party that had gone to the Ahbab Colony residence of their former boss, an official at railways headquarters in Lahore told Dawn on Wednesday.

Headed by PR Police DSP Muhammad Attiq, a five-member party approached Mr Gardezi at his residence on June 12 and handed over a letter of the Railway Board secretary written on the instructions of the Public Accounts Committee chairman regarding illegal use of an official car bearing registration number LRM-2722.

The retired IG received the letter but categorically refused to hand over the car to the DSP and his party, asking them to go away. The DSP attempted to again approach the retired IG through Constable Ashfaq Husain and other personnel deployed there. However, cellular phones of police party were taken away by their colleagues deployed at the residence of the retired IG.

The DSP and his party returned empty-handed to the PR Police headquarters and apprised DIG Munir Ahmad Chishti of the situation. The DIG withdrew the guard deployed at the residence of his former boss after suspending the policemen from service and ordering stoppage of their salaries.

The DIG brought the matter into the knowledge of Railways General Manager (Operations) Junaid Qureshi and Inspector General Syed Ibne Husain.

Mr Gardezi had retired from service more than a year ago after attaining superannuation but did not return the official car (LRM-2722) and drove it to his hometown Multan.

The matter was brought to the knowledge of the PAC chairman who directed the Railways Board chairman to take back the car, hand it over to the PR police inspector general and submit a compliance report at the earliest.

Railway Board Secretary Shahid Ahmed had on June 4 requested Mr Gardezi to “kindly return the car to the PR Police IG office immediately to avoid further complications as the said car is under your custody since your retirement.”

The retired IG did not pay any heed to the letter sent by the PR Board secretary. Subsequently, the ministry had on June 6 wrote to PR Police Inspector General Syed Ibne Husain, directing him to “approach Syed Asghar Raza Gardezi for retrieval of the vehicle.”

Mr Husain approached Mr Gardezi who promised to return the car during a visit to Lahore on June 10, said the railway official.