LAHORE: The Punjab government has granted 14-day ex-Pakistan leave to Inspector General of Police Faisal Shahkar, giving additional charge to a BS-21 police officer.

It was the second 22 grade top slot of the province after the chief secretary, which has been assigned to an officer ‘to look after’ the financial and administrative affairs.

The development may grant ‘unbridled powers’ to the Punjab Chief Minister’s Secretariat to take decisions of choice as the government had been facing resistance from the two officers in many affairs, especially transfer/posting matters.

An official said it was the first time both the chief secretary and the IGP had refused to work under the present political set-up, alleging ‘interference’ in their respective administrative matters besides a spate of criticism by the political parties.

He said the Punjab government had approved 14-day ex-Pakistan leave of Faisal Shahkar on Friday from Nov 10 to 23 as he said he was visiting Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.

Earlier, he applied for official leave a few days ago after he had written to the federal government that he was not willing to further serve as the Punjab IGP and requested it to transfer him out of the province.

In response to his request for leave, Chief Minister Parvez Elahi promptly accorded approval and directed the acting chief secretary to issue a notification.

On Friday, the government issued no objection certificate and declared that ‘there shall be no financial liability of Mr Shahkar’s visit on the provincial government’.

It has given additional charge of the top police slot to BS-21 police officer -- additional IG Punjab Elite Force Kunwar Shahrukh.

The official said there were 11 regional and around 36 district police officers and a majority of them got support from the Punjab police commander during any interference.

He further said there were chances that many of them would take the ‘opportunity’ to create nexus with the local political elites for personal gains or to give them shelter in illegal property and criminal matters.

He said Lahore CCPO Ghulam Mahmood Dogar had been suspended by the Establishment Division and the police officers under his command were in a state of confusion.

There were reports that the Punjab government was discussing names of some police officers to make posting of one of them as new Lahore police chief. They are Multan RPO Raja Riffat, Rawalpindi RPO Imran Ahmar and former Lahore DIG Operations Ashfaq Ahmad Khan.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2022