LAHORE, July 7: A major reshuffle in the Lahore police is on the cards, it is learnt.

Sources told Dawn on Monday that there were several reasons for some expected changes, including replacement of three senior officers.

Anticipating changes, two of the officers have reportedly requested Punjab IGP Masood Shah to transfer them. “We do not want to continue with the Lahore police, or at least we would like to be transferred from the local department,” a source, who attended a meeting headed by the IGP, quoted them as saying.

He said the third officer expected to be transferred was making efforts to get it stopped. “He may go on a leave before the expected transfer (for face-saving), if his efforts did not bear fruit,” he added.

He said the IGP had taken stock of law and order situation, but he seemed more interested in the administrative matters, especially those related to Lahore. “He scolded an SP rank officer posted in Lahore when the latter tried to justify the role of police pickets and argued that these should be restored.”

The IGP, however, told the police that there was no question of setting up the police pickets.

The source also disclosed that the police, assigned the job to control crime, was the main cause of reshuffle.

The matter related to the four-day standoff between the police and the Sharif family over the deportation of their three women was also discussed at the meeting.

“It had been a nerve-racking standoff between the police and the Sharif family. The police had been demanding the custody of the three women which the family tactfully kept denying.”

A tussle between the Operations and Prevention wing and the Investigation wing of the Lahore police is also said to be a reason for changes. Both the wings have been at variance over powers divided between them.