Punjab top cop uneasy with arrival of new Lahore CCPO

In yet another twist amid the uncertainty prevailing among the ranks of bureaucracy since the PTI came into power after the 2018 general elections, Punjab IGP Capt (retd) Shoaib Dastgir has stopped coming to the office after the latest posting of Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) in Lahore.

According to 24NewsHD TV channel which quoted sources, the disgruntled Punjab Police chief also raised the issue directly with the Prime Minister’s House as he is unhappy with the posting of Umar Sheikh as the Lahore CCPO last week.

It is said that Dastgir had resisted the transfer of Zulfiqar Hameed who, according to him, was a competent officer.

In this connection, the provincial police chief also met Chief Minister Usman Buzdar at his office on Monday without any prior schedule and expressed his reservations over the issue. However, Buzdar directed Dastgir to continue discharging his duties.

In this scenario, the senior officers serving at the Central Police Office are confused who said that the IGP had made a decision about his future. Everyone would know the decision in the coming days, they added.

Punjab experienced the latest round of changes in bureaucracy and police as Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Lahore last week, strengthening the impression that the province is being controlled directly by the Centre.

That’s why PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah had alleged that the new Lahore CCPO had been posted with a specific mission of targeting the main opposition party.

Dastgir is fifth the Punjab IGP since the PTI formed government in the province in 2018. He had replaced Capt (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan on November 26, 2019.