SIALKOT – Chief Minister Punjab, Sardar Usman Ahmad Buzdar has transferred the District Police Officer (DPO) as well as Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sialkot for not being able to see him off during a recent visit.
The chief minister arrived in Sialkot on an unannounced visit and was reportedly angered by the absence of both the officers when he was about to wind up his tour.
Media reports say both the civil servants were unable to see off the chief minister due to a minor accident of their squad’s car with another vehicle which delayed their arrival.
However, the absence riled Sardar Usman Buzdar who got DPO Abdul Ghaffar Qaiserani as well as DC Tahir Watto transferred; both the CSP’s had assumed the charge in June.
This is not the first time the Punjab government has ‘fixed’ the police officers as earlier DPO Pakpattan Rizwan Gondal had faced the wrath of the chief minister after a skirmish with Khawar Maneka- the former husband of Bushra Maneka.
The top court had taken a suo moto notice of the abrupt transfer following which CM Buzdar had tendered an unconditional apology, which was accepted.
Moreover, the Inspector General Police Islamabad, Jan Muhammad was also tranferred on the verbal orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Islamabad IGP, as per the statement by Interior Secretary before the Supreme Court, was transferred without taking him in the loop.
However, according to secretary establishment, the transfer of Jan Muhammad was not being carried out in haste and it was a part of an ongoing plan.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/sc-orders-cm-buzdar-former-ig-punjab-to-submit-written-apologies-in-dpo-pakpattan-case/
The apex court had also suspended the notification issued by the government in this regard. The issue had come to light after it was alleged that Minister for Science and Technology Azam Khan Swati was behind the transfer as the top cop who did not pick up his call.
The Supreme Court had formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe into the matter which has submitted its report.
Though Prime Minister Imran Khan had vowed to depoliticize the police, it appears that his promises are falling on a stony ground – much evident with the transfer of DPO Pakpattan, DPO Sialkot and IGP Islamabad.