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Transferred DSPs, SHOs, SPs, CTO using ‘links’ to keep themselves posted in Lahore
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Transparent elections in jeopardy as several policemen have alleged links with political parties
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IGP’s spokesperson says monitoring on, officials will be taken to task if found guilty
While the interim setup is busy reshuffling officials in a bid to ensure transparent elections per the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s code, some officials of the Punjab Police working in Lahore have managed to use their ‘connections’ to keep themselves posted in Lahore, sources told Pakistan Today.
The sources alleged that many police officials had ‘affiliations’ with political parties, while some of them were ‘linked’ to sensitive agencies. They claimed it was by virtue of these ‘connections’ that some police officers, including a few SPs and even the CTO, managed to keep themselves posted in Lahore during the ongoing wave of bureaucratic reshuffle.
The purpose of reshuffle was to ensure transparency in elections. However, it is a case of fighting a lost battle if the officials continue to stay in the region and transfers are just a matter of changing seats from one influential position to another.
The sources said former Civil Lines Investigations SP Tariq Aziz had ‘family relations’ with a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and used his ‘connections’ with the caretaker chief minister to get posted as the Model Town Operations SP.
Similarly, the sources said former Saddar Operations SP Adeel Husain Chandio not only had ‘affiliations’ with an influential political party from Sindh, but was also the nephew of a former federal minister. They alleged that Chandio by virtue of his ‘links’ with the aforementioned high ups, got himself posted in the City Division.
Moreover, according to the claims made by sources, former Cantt SP Maroof Safdar Wahla had ‘close contacts’ with a high up in a sensitive agency. His ‘connection’ with the aforementioned official enabled him to stay posted in Lahore, this time as Civil Lines Operations SP.
Another such case was that of former Cantt Investigations SP Fida Husain, who used his ‘links’ with an influential political party from Sindh to get himself posted as Civil Lines Investigations SP.
Even former CTO Capt (r) Sohail Khan managed to keep himself posted in Lahore using his connections with a sensitive agency, the sources claimed.
The claims regarding the officials’ connections with the influential could not be independently verified despite repeated attempts.
IGP GETS A LETTER:
Furthermore, sources told Pakistan Today that the Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Aftab Sultan had received a letter from an unidentified sender a few days ago, which contained the names of all SHOs and SPs who allegedly had affiliations with political parties.
The sender had claimed in that letter that a few DSPs and SHOs were in ‘close contact’ with some political parties and had used their ‘links’ to get them posted in Lahore after their transfer orders.
The letter carried names of the following DSPs: Raza Safdar Kazmi, Nasir Bajwa, Asim Taqi, Shamsul Haq Durrani, Shajar Abbas, Ahmed Nawaz Shah, Atif Hayat, Khalid Khan and Mehar Mumtaz.
The letter alleged following SHOs of having connections with political parties: Faisal Shareef, Shareef Sindhu, Naeem Anwar Bajwa, Qamar Abbar, Atif Meraaj, Nasir Chatha, Nasir Hameed, Shahid Ali, Naveed Akmal, Amir Sindhu and Asad Qureshi.
IGP CLARIFIES:
When contacted, the IGP’s spokesperson told Pakistan Today that various transfers and posting were being made in the province following the ECP’s code of transparency and if a few officials were kept in Lahore, it did not mean that they had connections with high-ups.
The officials mentioned in the letter were being closely monitored and they would be taken to task if found guilty, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson added that the IGP had even issued an order barring police officials from entering polling stations on the day of elections. The spokesperson said police officials could only enter the polling station after seeking permission from the polling agent.
He assured holding free and fair elections and said anyone involved in having connections with political parties would be taken to task.
IGP SEEKS RETIRED OFFICIALS FOR ELECTIONS:
Punjab IGP Aftab Sultan has ordered all district police officers (DPOs) to hire services of retired policemen and army personnel for the security duties for Elections 2013 and the process should be completed by April 23 in their respective districts.
Per the instructions, all retired policemen, army personnel, and other retired security officials, who were physically and mentally fit, would be asked to contact the District Police Lines in their respective areas for election duties.
The applicants must carry a valid ID card, pension papers, and discharge certificate for election duties. The services of the retired officials would be hired only for election days and they would be paid for the duty days as well.
