LAHORE: The federal government has issued another notice to ‘under-transfer’ Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Additional IG Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, asking him to relinquish his charge and report to the Establishment Division (ED), Islamabad, within three days.

It was the third and the final notice issued by the ED on the approval of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif being the competent authority.

The notification, a copy of which is available with Dawn, mentions the controversial position of Mr Dogar, a BS-21 officer, for not complying with the ED’s earlier orders and categorically warns him of disciplinary proceedings for his ‘defiance’.

Issued on Thursday, the notice directly addresses the Lahore CCPO, unlike the previous two correspondences, where the ED had communicated its decision of his transfer to the Punjab government.

The federal and provincial governments had locked horns over the transfer of the officer on Sept 21, when the former withdrew Mr Dogar from Punjab, asking the province to ensure compliance.

Led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the federal government got annoyed with the CCPO over registration of cases on anti-terrorism charges against two of its leaders – MNA Javed Latif and Marriyum Aurangzeb – in a Lahore police station. The PML-N top leadership was convinced the CCPO had played a key role in lodging the cases.

However, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi had refused to relieve the officer from the province, terming it a case of political victimisation.

The issue had triggered a fierce debate between the two sides – the PML-N and the PTI top leadership – on social media and was also highlighted by TV channels.

Meanwhile, the ED had issued second notice to the provincial authorities, asking them to ensure compliance of the transfer order.

The fresh notice also mentions that a fact-finding has been initiated against Mr Dogar on the approval of the premier.

“I am directed to refer to the subject cited above and to state that you were transferred from the Punjab government and directed to report to the establishment division vide a notification issued on Sept 20, 2022, with immediate effect and until further orders on the basis of a complaint with the approval of prime minister being competent authority as envisaged in Rule 6 of the Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion and Transfer), Rules, 1973, for subsequent initiation of a fact-finding inquiry, but you have not yet submitted your joining report pursuant thereto”, reads the ED notification.

In the notice, the federal government has directed him to report to the ED within three days of its issuance.

“I am, therefore, directed to instruct you to comply with the above-mentioned notification by submitting your joining report to this Division within three days of issuance of this notice, failing which disciplinary proceedings under the Civil Servants (Efficiency, and Discipline) Rules, 2020 shall be initiated against you”, the notice warns.

According to the Civil Servants (Efficiency, and Discipline) Rules 2020, the competent authority may award major penalties to the civil servants, including compulsory retirement, removal from service and dismissal from service.

An official privy to the development says that in the cases of BS-21 or above civil servants, the prime minister is the competent authority to take action against them.

He says the Lahore CCPO has also submitted his case with the authorities concerned, claiming that in the official record his date of birth has been mentioned incorrect, at the time of joining the service.

He says Mr Dogar claims that according to his correct date of birth, he has two more years of service, contrary to the federal government’s record that shows he is going to retire next year.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2022