GUJRAT, Dec 27: The Chaudhrys of Gujrat succeeded in getting Raja Munawwar posted as district police officer here on Dec 12. They had been trying to get a district police chief of their choice for the last 10 months, well-placed sources and local police circles told Dawn on Monday.
They told this reporter on condition of anonymity that a rift had developed between the Chaudhrys and SSP Riaz Ahmad in the beginning of the current year (2002), when the latter refused to accept their interference in administrative affairs.
On the polling day of local bodies elections on March 21, 2001, the Chaudhrys were on their way to cast their vote at a polling station when a police party led by DSP Amjad Karim Butt thoroughly checked and searched their vehicle and their persons, acting on the instructions of SSP Riaz, the sources said.
The Chaudhrys allegedly started making their moves against SSP Riaz. First of all, they tried to use the agency of their brother, District Nazim Chaudhry Shafaat Hussain, for the purpose. Some union council Nazimeen of the ruling party (PML-Q) made a requisition in a district council session against SSP Riaz Ahmad, who was asked to appear before the district council and explain the cause of the deteriorating law and order situation in the district. However, Mr Riaz did not appear in the court of politicians and became stricter in his policies.
Then, the Chaudhrys approached the provincial highups of the department concerned for the transfer of SSP Riaz, who belonged to Balochistan. After receiving a cold response from the Punjab government in this regard, the Chaudhrys contacted the Balochistan government, who requested the federal government that one of its SSP Riaz Ahmad was very competent and needed to be sent back. The federal government transferred SSP Riaz to Balochistan on June 10, 2002.
At that time, it became known in police circles that the Punjab government had lodged a protest with the federal government against the transfer of an SSP without its knowledge.
According to the sources, the Chaudhrys tried their best from June 10 to June 28 — when Abdul Karim had the additional charge of Gujrat — to get Raja Munawar Hussain transferred to Gujrat. However, they were asked by the provincial government to name another SSP, as Mr Munawar was a junior officer.
Later, on June 28, the provincial government posted Nisar Ahmad Siroya in Gujrat. It was thought that Mr Siroya did not like the Leaguers and had strong affiliation with the PPP. However, the rumour proved wrong when he was allegedly seen in Zahoor Palace on the day he assumed charge in Gujrat. On Sept 22, Punjab governor Khalid Maqbool made SSP Siroya an OSD and ordered a high level inquiry against him on charges of misconduct, gross negligence and incompetence.
Again, the sources said, the Chaudhrys asked the provincial government to transfer Raja Munawar from Faisalabad CIA to Gujrat, but to no avail. SSP Ahmad Mubarik Ahmad was posted in Gujrat on Sept 25.
During his tenure in Gujrat, which lasted from Sept 25 to Dec 12, SSP Mubarik did not succumb to the pressure of the Chaudhrys, who were said to be unhappy with his ‘merit policy’. After becoming the chief minister, sources said, Pervaiz Elahi must have found it very easy to transfer Mr Mubarik from Gujrat and post Raja Munawar in his place.
The sources said that undue postings and transfers, change of investigation officers and suspension of inquiries against police officers caused a rift between SSPs Riaz Ahmad and Ahmad Mubarik Ahmad on one hand and the mighty Chaudhrys on the other.
The sources alleged that District Nazim Chaudhry Shafaat Hussain had asked SSP Mubarik several times for undue postings and transfers of officials. They also believed that the newly appointed DIG for Gujranwala range, Malik Mohammad Iqbal, was also close to the Chaudhrys.