A Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader on Wednesday filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court challenging the Punjab government’s decision to remove Shoaib Dastagir from the post of Inspector General of Police. The petition, filed by PML-N leader Malik Ahmed, named the Cabinet division secretary, the Punjab additional chief secretary, Dastagir, newly appointed Punjab IG Inam Ghani, Additional IG (Operations) Zulfiqar Hameed and Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Umar Sheikh as respondents.
The petition has been fixed for hearing for Thursday at 9am. LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan will preside over the hearing. On Wednesday, the federal government appointed Ghani as the new Punjab Inspector General of Police – the sixth police chief of the province since the PTI came into power two years ago.
According to the petition filed on Wednesday, pre-mature transfers in the police force violate the Police Order (2002) and the Punjab government’s rules of business. It says that the Punjab government, instead of implementing the Police Order (2002) has “further politicised the police force and shown the door to recalcitrant and independent minded officers without any regard for their independence and tenure protected by the law”. “The Punjab government has changed six IGs in two years and the average tenure is four months,” it states. “The frequent and arbitrary transfers of senior-most officials send a wave of resentment among the police community.” The petition also notes that three CCPOs have been posted and transferred in the last two years.
The petition urges the court to declare notifications regarding the appointment of the provincial police officer and the CCPO as “unconstitutional”. It also urges the court to declare that the provincial government should appoint a CCPO only on the recommendation of the provincial police officer. It also asks the court to declare that a “PPO and CCPO enjoy security of tenure for three years and that a premature transfer can only take place if premature transfer proceedings are initiated on the grounds of ‘unsatisfactory performance’ after providing an opportunity of hearing before the relevant Public Safety Commission”. It adds that the commission and the government has to agree to transfer the officer. The petition also asks the court to direct the constitution of a broad-based independent commission to supervise the effective implementation of the Police Order, 2002 and direct this commission to give recommendations regarding police reforms in the province.
