Musical chairs: After TLP crisis, Punjab transfers 30 police officers in major reshuffle

• Punjab government transfers 30 police officers after TLP protests.
• Fayyaz Ahmed is the new Lahore CCPO.
• After martyrdom of and injuries to policemen during TLP long march, senior officers of Lahore, Gujranwala and Sheikhupura police were under criticism.

LAHORE: In a major clean sweep of Lahore police commanders, 30 police officers have been transferred by the Punjab government after the violent protests of proscribed group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

It had earlier been reported that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar interviewed three officers for the slot of CCPO on Wednesday after rumours of a major reshuffle in the Punjab police because of poor management of the TLP protesters.

After the martyrdom of three policemen and injuries to at least 70 other during the TLP long march, senior officers of the Lahore, Gujranwala and Sheikhupura police were under criticism, The News reported.

The Punjab CM and law minister held several meetings with the inspector-general of police and finalised the names of officers for immediate removal.

The Punjab government issued a notification detailing the new transfers and postings Thursday.

As per the notification, Lahore CCPO Mahmood Dogar, Lahore DIG Operations Suhail Chaudhry, who was posted two months back, SSP Operations Ismail Kharak, DIG Investigations Shariq Jamal and SSP Investigations Mansoor Aman have been transferred.

Ghulam Mahmood Dogar has been transferred and posted as additional inspector-general of police logistics and procurement vice Shahid Hanif, who was already transferred and posted as additional IG of police PHP, while Fayyaz Ahmad Dev, additional IG of police investigation branch Punjab, has been posted as the Lahore CCPO and DIG (crimes) investigation branch Munir Ahmad Sheikh has been given additional charge of the office of additional IG investigation Punjab till further orders.

The detailed notification can be read below.

A police officer told Geo.tv, on the condition of anonymity, that the CCPO Lahore was transferred on the pretext that the police did not do enough to stop the protesters form leaving Lahore.

“The entire blame only falls on the police,” he said, “While trying to stop them from leaving Lahore, the police on the first day lost two cops, and 67 were injured. If we had exerted more pressure we would have lost more men. And why should we lose more men if the government if going to sign an agreement with the TLP in the end anyways?”

The officer added that if the police had “exerted more pressure”, protesters would have also died. “It would have turned into something like the Model Town incident. Even in that at the end of the day, FIRs were only lodged against the police.”