LAHORE – The newly-appointed Cantonment SP has not taken charge five days after the notification issued by the Punjab Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) office. Additionally, a number of superintendent of police (SP) positions are vacant in Lahore but the authorities concerned appear uninterested in filling the empty posts. Five days ago, IGP Mr Javed Iqbal ordered the transfer of then SP Cantt Division (Operations) Jawad Qamar and made him SP Security against a vacant seat. Sarfraz Virk, awaiting a posting, was appointed SP Cantt the same day.
SP Jawad Qamar left the SP Cantt seat and assumed charge as SP Security the same day. However, SP Sarfraz Virk never assumed charge of his duties. It is learnt that Sarfraz Virk was stopped from assuming charge by the top brass of Lahore Police. Sources said the top brass of the Lahore Police does not want Sarfraz to serve as SP Cantt. Subsequently, they stopped him from assuming charge of the post till the return of Chief Minister Punjab Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif from abroad. When contacted by Pakistan Today, Sarfaraz Virk refused to comment on the matter, saying he would assume charge of his duties soon.
Sources further said SP Jawad Qamar had been promised the post of SP Coordination, a more powerful seat compared to SP Security, but a clash between DIG Operations Rao Sardar and then SP Coordination Suhail Sukhaira resulted in the abolition of the SP Coordination seat. However, sources suggested that Lahore Police officials were mulling creating the SP Coordination seat since much departmental work was now pending and subsequently creating hazards, especially in transfers and postings of subordinates.
On other hand, four other seats of Superintendents of Police posts remain vacant in Lahore including SP Investigation Iqbal Town, SP Investigation Model Town, SP Investigation City Division and SP VVIP Security. Sources said the seats have yet to be filled since police officials are awaiting a decision on the fate of the 47 SPs ordered by the IGP to report to the Central Police Office (CPO) after the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of inappropriate appointments in the Police Department.
Taking to Pakistan Today, Capital City Police Officer Muhammad Aslam Tareen said police were working to fill the seats within a week or so. He, also, promised the resolution of the issue of the SP Cantt seat by next week..
