LAHORE: In what appears to be height of political victimisation, the Punjab government has not only twice removed BS-18 police officer Maaz Zafar within a short span but also surrendered his services and the very next day relieved him of his duties, directing him to report to the Establishment Division till further orders.

The ‘swift’ action against the police officer reveals a bitter background as he was first prematurely removed from his two positions and then surrendered from Punjab on the directions issued by none other than the Prime Minister Office. The move is a classic example of chronic political interference in the police operational matters, undermining the autonomy of the force.

It is also evident from fact that some provincial political figures engaged the two top offices - the PM office and the Punjab CM office -- for repatriation of Maaz Zafar to the federal government. Many other appointments in regions and districts have been made by the PML-N against the consent of recently transfererd IGP Rao Sardar Ali Khan, which is said to be one of the reasons which prompted Khan to refuse to serve as the police chief.

An official said the action against Maaz Zafar had been criticised by a group of retired inspector generals of police (IGPs) who declare that ‘the police officers are being ruled by a lot of masters’. In February 2021, he said, several serving and retired IGPs had prepared a draft of reforms while pointing out a set of problems including the political interference in police’s operational matters. They had joined heads under the “Police Awam Saath Saath Programme” launched jointly by the Punjab police and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

He said Rao Sardar Ali Khan transferred Maaz Zafar from Okara district and posted him SSP operations in Gujranwala in May last, elevating him in the light of his performance reports. As he assumed charge in Gujranwala, some political elites in the Punjab government showed serious concerns over his appointment and pressurised the CM Secretariat to remove him from the field assignment.

The official said the former IGP resisted the move when the CM Secretariat directed him to take action against the officer, conveying that Zafar had registered cases against some parliamentarians during his posting in Lahore back in 2018 and that he enjoyed a good reputation. The issue remained a matter of discussion between the IGP and the CM office for a couple weeks as the local politicians vigorously pursued the matter, said the official.

Eventually, he said, the provincial police chief succumbed to the pressure and removed Maaz Zafar from his post just 35 days after his appointment in Gujranwala and made him officer on special duty. However, to avoid embarrassment in his community, the IGP transferred and posted him in the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) a few days later as the officer in question felt disturbed.

As the officer assumed charge of his new assignment, some MPs again knocked on the CM Secretariat door and then took up the matter with the prime minister also, said the official. And this time round the action was so much swift that the officer was not only removed from his new position but also surrendered from Punjab, he said.

The Punjab government also relieved him of his duties from the province on July 21 -- the next day of his transfer order -- and directed him to report to the Establishment Division.

The official source said the police officer had been penalised as the Lahore police had lodged a case against Khokhar brothers under anti-terrorism and nine other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code back in 2018. In the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the Nawab Town police had nominated PML-N stalwarts including Malik Saiful Malook Khokhar, Malik Shafi Kokhar, Malik Afzal Khokhar, Malik Irfan Kokhar, Malik Faisal Ashraf Kokhar, Malik Azam Jehangir and nearly 400 other party leaders and workers.

Police officer Maaz Zafar was serving as the SP Saddar at that time. Meanwhile, he said, the Supreme Court also took action on complaints of local residents about illegal land grabbing against Khokhar brothers. The SC ordered the then Anti-Corruption Punjab director-general, Hussain Asghar, to probe the allegation levelled against the politicians.

Therefore, the DG formed a committee comprising members of the Anti-Corruption Department, the district administration and police. Maaz Zafar was made a member of the committee which submitted an inquiry report in the SC which later ordered demolition of a certain area of the Khokhar Palace located in Johar Town.

The issue hit the headlines in the national media, the official said, adding that the police officer had been a target of these political elites since then and was eventually penalised by the PML-N government.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2022