ISLAMABAD: Even though the notification of DIG Ali Nasir Rizvi as the new police chief remains in the field, two senior police officers of the Islamabad police have stepped up efforts to clinch the coveted post with the help of senior bureaucrats in the interior ministry.

Insiders told Dawn that the two officers had held meetings with senior civil servants, including those serving in the interior ministry. They claimed that the two DIGs also visited the interior ministry separately and met a senior official at the ministry with a request to recommend their name for the post of the police chief.

The office of the IGP has been vacant since March 29 after the Establishment Division posted Akbar Nasir Khan and appointed DIG Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi as the new police chief of the capital police. The sources said that there were reports that Mr Rizivi was likely to assume the charge.

In this regard the interior minister, who picked DIG Rizvi for the top office, also said that the officer based in Lahore would join the office of the Islamabad police chief, they added. The notification for DIG Rizvi’s appointment is still not cancelled despite his reluctance because the minister wanted him to head the capital police. On March 29, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied DIG Rizvi and met the premier. After this meeting, the notification regarding his appointment as the IGP Islamabad was issued.

Two DIGs vie for top slot amid reports of DIG Rizvi’s expected arrival

There are several reasons DIG Rizvi has not arrived in the capital. For instance, he had wanted to bring his own team from Punjab, including DIGs and SSPs and the Punjab chief minister’s objections over his transfer.

It may be mentioned here that the capital police have four DIGs, including DIG Security Owais Ahmed, and DIG Headquarters Hassan Raza from CTP-29 and Safe City Authority Director General Mohammad Shoaib from CTP-30. DIG Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, however, is from CTP-31 and the senior officers in the police are reluctant to work under his command.

DIG Headquarters Hassan Raza, DIG Security Owais Ahmed, and Safe City head DIG Mohammad Shoaib had also approached the commissioner for a 15-day leave because they did not want to ‘salute’ a junior officer DIG Rizvi. The request for the leave was turned down and the application was returned to the DIGs.

The commissioner’s office asked them to approach the interior secretary to seek leave, saying the commissioner lost its powers to the interior secretary after the promulgation of the Police Order. After the leave request was rejected, the DIGs resumed their duties. It may be noted that the police officers had approached the administration for a 15-day leave after the approval of their five-day leave by the outgoing police chief.

Akbar Nasir Khan relinquished the charge on March 30 day without nominating an officer, as DIG Rizvi did not appear to assume the charge. On April 8, the chief commissioner’s office approached the interior ministry and requested to appoint the ‘most senior’ officer DIG Headquarters Hassan Raza as acting IGP Islamabad, as during the absence of the police chief the official work of the capital police was suffering. DIG Headquarters Hassan Raza, however, is junior to DIG Security Owais Ahmed in the seniority list of the CTP-29.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2024