LAHORE, April 11: Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Zulfikar Cheema is likely to grab a key post in the Lahore police set up, sources say.

Mr Cheema, who was earlier Kohat DIG and transferred to Punjab a few days ago, visited Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Malik Iqbal and SSP (administration) Farooq Mazhar Khan on Friday afternoon, sources revealed to Dawn on Friday.

Mr Cheema is considered a strict police officer, and has served as Lahore SSP from April 30, 1997, to Jan 1, 1998, in the tenure of former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif. His transfer to Punjab points to his close relations with PML-N leaders.

Sources believed Mr Cheema was most likely to become either CCPO or DIG (operations). Mr Cheema visited the offices on an official vehicle.

Mr Farooq, who took additional charge of SSP (operations) on Friday after the transfer of SSP (operation) Dr Tariq Khokhar, spent two hours with Mr Cheema.

Mr Cheema, the sources said, then met Punjab Chief Secretary Javed Mehmood and later paid a visit to Jati Umra to meet PML-N high command.