Tag: Punjab police

  • Four chief secretaries, six IGs, 15 secretaries; six DG Khan, four Lahore commissioners changed under Buzdar rule

    In what appear to be efforts by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar to prove his mettle as a good administrator amid severe criticism over a number of things, it has emerged that new records were set within the past two and a half years as the provincial chief executive struggled to constitute the best team.

    Soon after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power in 2018, Buzdar was handed reins of Punjab by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan despite reservations expressed by several allies of the premier.

    “He will prove to be the best Punjab has ever had,” PM Imran said while defending Buzdar time and again, especially amid criticism aimed at the newcomer over his lack of experience, unpopular decisions, and as the masses drew comparisons between Buzdar and his predecessor, Shehbaz Sharif.

    Two and a half years since his election, it has emerged that CM Buzdar set a new record, but it might not exactly be for what you think or could have expected…

    He became the first provincial chief executive to have made the most number changes to his team in no time, the details of which are as follows:

    FOUR CHIEF SECRETARIES:

    Jawad Rafique Malik (April 2020 – Present)

    Azam Suleman (5 Months 3 Days)

    Yousaf Naseem Khokhar (13 Months 24 Days)

    Akbar Durrani (3 Months & 19 Days)

    SIX INSPECTOR GENERALS (IGs):

    Inam Ghani (September 2020 – Present)

    Shoaib Dastagir (9 Months 10 Days)

    Arif Nawaz (7 Months 11 Days)

    Amjad Javed Saleemi (6 Months 2 Days)

    Tahir Khan (1 Month 4 Days)

    Kaleem Imam (2 Months 28 Days)

    OTHERS:

    Besides over a dozen transfers and postings among secretaries of different Punjab departments, the other prominent officials sent packing included those serving in the provincial capital and CM Buzdar’s hometown Dera Ghazi (DG) Khan.

    DG KHAN CHIEF COMMISSIONERS:

    Dr Irshad Ahmed (Incumbent)

    Tahir Khurshid

    Muddassir Riaz

    Asadullah Faiz

    Naseem Sadiq

    Sajid Zafar

    LAHORE COMMISSIONERS:

    Asif Bilal Lodhi (Second Appointment)

    Mujtaba Paracha

    Saif Anjum

    This, however, isn’t where it all ends.

    According to sources, major changes in Punjab are once again on the cards and Primary and Secondary Health Secretary Capt (r) Muhammad Usman is likely to be made Lahore commissioner soon.

    While the chief secretary and the IG could also be replaced, reports regarding Buzdar’s own dismissal have been rebutted by both Centre and the Punjab CM himself.

    Speaking to Geo News, Buzdar said rumours of his removal went rife every once in a while. “There is no truth to rumours of my removal [as CM Punjab],” he said, adding that the main objective of these rumours was to stop development work in the province.

    He said that the Punjab Assembly and “his leader” — Prime Minister Imran Khan — had complete confidence in his abilities as the province’s chief executive.

    “I am staying here and will continue to serve the people of Punjab,” he said. “We are governing Punjab transparently; not even a single corruption case has been exposed,” he added.

  • Punjab Police joins ‘Pawri Horai Hai’ trend

    Punjab Police joins ‘Pawri Horai Hai’ trend

    Punjab Police has recreated the ‘Pawri Horai Hai’ meme with their own twist.

    As per the details, Punjab Police tweeted a collage and wrote, “Yeh hum hain, Yeh humari gaaryian hain, Aur yeh humara emergency number hai [This is us, these is our cars, and this is our emergency number).”

    While the tweet was appreciated by many who lauded Punjab Police for raising awareness with a fun twist, others criticised the cops for not efficiently responding to emergency calls.

    Also Read: Indian police join #PawriHoRahiHai trend, ask citizens to report late night parties

    The trend started after an influencer, Dananeer Mobeen, shared a video clip partying with her friends in front of a car. In the video, she was heard saying: “Yeh hamari car hai, yeh hum hain, aur yeh hamari pawri ho rai hai” (This is our car, this is us, and this is our party).

    Soon after the video went viral, ‘Pawri Ho Rai Hai’ became a major meme trend in Pakistan and also across the border. Many celebrities from Pakistan and India recreated the ‘Pawri Horai Hai’ meme.

    The original video has crossed six million views on Instagram and Dananeer’s followers have also reached one million on Instagram.

  • Faisalabad man gunned down by police for not stopping at checkpoint

    Faisalabad man gunned down by police for not stopping at checkpoint

    At least four policemen have been arrested in Faisalabad for killing a man and injuring three others after they fired at a vehicle that failed to stop at a checkpoint in Dijkot area of the city.

    The family of the deceased says that Waqas Ahmed was on his way back from a wedding on Wednesday when the police team on a patrolling duty stopped their car.

    There are conflicting reports about what transpired at the checkpoint. Waqas’s cousin says that the deceased had stopped at the checkpoint and answered police’s questions, but policemen still chased him and gunned him down.

    However, a police report claims that Waqas “mistakenly” ran over Sub-Inspector Shahid Rasool’s foot and sped away from the check-post in panic. The police officers chased the vehicle and intercepted them in no time. They then pulled out Waqas from the vehicle and shot him multiple times. They even slapped Ahmed after he had passed away as well, his cousin told a media outlet.

    The three men accompanying Waqas were taken to an unknown location, but they were released after the Faisalabad police chief intervened. Police claim Waqas was killed in an exchange of fire following his failure to stop on the checkpoint.

    Meanwhile, the relatives of Waqas organised a protest on Samundri Road and set tyres on fire. Following this, the Faisalabad CCPO took notice of the incident and launched an inquiry. Ahmed’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination while the three other men have been sent back home.

    Last month, five officials of Islamabad Police were arrested for killing 21-year-old youth, Usama Satti, in cold blood near Srinagar Highway, G-10 sector in the federal capital. According to reports, shots were fired from the front and hit Satti mostly on the face and upper body.

    The policemen were subsequently dismissed from the service after a probe.

  • High-tension video shows police ‘forcefully picking up’ DJ Butt ahead of Opp’s Lahore jalsa

    High-tension video shows police ‘forcefully picking up’ DJ Butt ahead of Opp’s Lahore jalsa

    A high-tension video doing the rounds has shown Punjab Police personnel detaining popular disc jockey and political activist DJ Butt.

    According to journalist Munizae Jahangir, Butt, who is responsible for the sound system arrangements at the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) anti-government protest in Lahore on December 13, was “forcefully taken to Model Town police station”.

    https://twitter.com/MunizaeJahangir/status/1336582648488226817?s=19

    The video that shows Butt resisting arrest and seeking the reason behind his detention comes at a time when tensions run high among the country’s political quarters.

    The joint opposition is determined to send the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government packing with its protests.

    The government, on the other hand, has refused to let the opposition “blackmail the state into giving them a clean chit in corruption cases”.

    While the government has also not allowed the PDM member parties to gather in Lahore amid the second wave of COVID-19, leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) among other joint opposition parties say the gathering will be held come what may.

    Meanwhile, the premier has also announced to hold by-elections on vacant seats if PDM leaders go forth with plans of resigning from assemblies.

  • Motorway rapist wasn’t arrested, he surrendered: father

    After the arrest of the prime suspect in the motorway rape incident, Abid Malhi, his father claimed that the suspect had turned himself in after having escaped the Punjab police for a month.

    The father released a video Tuesday stating the above after police arrested Malhi a day ago from Faisalabad.

    Reportedly, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Special Branch of the police, and other agencies had tipped off Punjab police about the whereabouts of the suspect before the arrest was made, but the father’s video alleges that Malhi had called the police himself and that the arrest was made from Lahore’s Manga Mandi area in front of a person named Khalid Butt.

    Furthmore, as the arrest has been made, the father demanded that the female members of their family be released. Some of Abid’s relatives had been apprehended by police shortly after the incident took place.

    “Abid had expressed his wish to come home. At 6:30 pm, he returned,” his father said. “Abid was sent to the Crime Investigation Agency’s (CIA) [office] in Khalid Butt’s car,” he claimed.

    On the contrary, Punjab Inspector-General Police (IGP) Inam Ghani said that the suspect had been arrested by police.

  • Motorway gang-rape suspect says he evaded arrest for a month by wearing mask on public transport

    Motorway gang-rape suspect says he evaded arrest for a month by wearing mask on public transport

    The prime suspect of the Lahore-Sialkot motorway rape incident has revealed how he managed to hide from the police for almost a month before he was finally arrested on Monday evening, Geo reported.

    Last month, two robbers on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway had gang-raped a mother of two in front of her children in an area falling within the Gujjarpura police jurisdiction. The incident caused a countrywide outpouring of anger and brought sexual violence against women into national focus. Abid and Shafqat Ali alias Bagga — who is on judicial remand— are the main suspects in the case.

    According to police sources, Malhi said he spent a month travelling through various cities in Punjab using public transport while covering his face with a mask. 

    The suspect revealed that he had fled to Nankana Sahib after raping the woman, while his accomplice, Shafqat, escaped to Depalpur. 

    With the police on his trail, Malhi fled from Nankana Sahib to Bahawalpur, where he managed to evade the police once again and avoid recognition by wearing a mask over his face.

    “I travelled through various cities in public transport,” the suspect was quoted as saying.

    He was ultimately caught after he ran out of money and was forced to contact his wife. Abid was arrested from Faisalabad and is being shifted to Lahore, Hasnain Haider, a deputy superintendent (DSP) of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), said.

    Abid, who was leading a gang of four, is also wanted to police in at least 10 other criminal cases registered at various police stations of Punjab.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Identity of motorway gang-rape suspect revealed

    EXCLUSIVE: Identity of motorway gang-rape suspect revealed

    With authorities’ failure to protect the mother of three, who was gang-raped on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway on Tuesday night, drawing a strong reaction from the masses, the police have revealed the identity of one of the suspects behind the gruesome incident that shook the nation.

    As per the details, the individual, namely Abid Ali and a resident of Haroonabad town of Punjab’s Bahawalnagar district, is a proclaimed offender and has been nominated in multiple cases earlier as well.

    While accomplice of the 27-year-old is still unidentified and both the suspects are at large, it has been announced that Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat will shortly address a press conference to share further details.

    Reports, however, have cited sources as saying that the name of Abid’s accomplice is Waqar.

    IDENTIFICATION:

    Earlier in the day, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) had announced that one of the culprits had been identified following DNA testing and will soon be apprehended.

    Taking to Twitter to share the news, Dr Gill had congratulated Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh and the entire team.

    “DNA matched. The arrests will also soon be made. The people should know that Usman Buzdar, the IGP and the [Lahore] CCPO were in a meeting until 4 am. The CM himself has monitored the entire case,” he had tweeted.

    The tweet had followed a vaguely-worded tweet wherein Dr Gill said thanked Allah for his help and for listening to the prayers of the people.

    LAHORE-SIALKOT MOTORWAY RAPE CASE:

    On Tuesday night, it was reported that two robbers had gang-raped a mother of three on the Motorway within Gujjarpura police’s jurisdiction.

    The woman, along with her three children, was driving to Gujranwala in her car when she was forced to stop at the Gujjarpura section of the Motorway after running out of fuel at around 1:30 am. She immediately called a relative and sent him her location. He asked her to also dial the Motorway Police helpline 130 but she was reportedly refused help.

    In the meantime, two robbers approached the car, broke the window and took the woman and her children to nearby bushes where they raped her repeatedly in front of the children. They also snatched her purse that had cash around Rs100,000, one bracelet, car registration and three ATM cards. 

    The Gujjarpura police have registered a case, while motorway police spokesperson said they had not been able to take action as the incident did not occur in the limits of Motorway Police.

  • VIDEO: Police blame mother-of-three survivor for gang-rape, say ‘she should have taken GT Road’

    Lahore’s new Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh, who was earlier this week blamed for the removal of Punjab’s fifth inspector general of police (IGP) in two years, has now made headlines for blaming a gang-rape victim for the incident.

    “I am shocked… you are a mother of three and the only driver late at night… [she] should have taken the GT [Grand Trunk] Road instead, which is densely populated,” he said while speaking to Dunya News.

    Sheikh went on to say that the woman should “at least have checked her fuel before taking the motorway”.

    THE INCIDENT:

    On Tuesday night, it was reported that two robbers had gang-raped a mother of three on the Motorway within Gujjarpura police’s jurisdiction.

    The woman, along with her three children, was driving to Gujranwala in her car when she was forced to stop at the Gujjarpura section of the Motorway after running out of fuel at around 1:30 am. She immediately called a relative and sent him her location. He asked her to also dial the Motorway Police helpline 130 but she was reportedly refused help.

    In the meantime, two robbers approached the car, broke the window and took the woman and her children to nearby bushes where they raped her repeatedly in front of the children. They also snatched her purse that had cash around Rs100,000, one bracelet, car registration and three ATM cards. 

    The Gujjarpura police have registered a case, while motorway police spokesperson said they had not been able to take action as the incident did not occur in the limits of Motorway Police.

    PUBLIC REACTION:

    With the incident making headlines and medical reports confirming gang-rape, social media flooded with posts by the general public as well as political leaders in support of the survivor and against the authorities over their “continuous failure to protect the people”.

    Amid public outcry, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s aide on political communication, Dr Shahbaz Gill, said that on Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar’s directives, Lahore CCPO Umar Sheikh will lead the investigation.

    “Urban and rural policing techniques are being used,” he said, adding that CCTV footage and DNA matching was being used in the probe.”

    Dr Gill further said that around 12 suspects have been arrested.

    ‘POLICE DOING GREAT WORK’:

    Earlier, newly-appointed IGP Inam Ghani claimed that police have secured “evidence” that will lead them to the culprits.

    “We have done great work so far in the motorway rape case. We have located the village from which the suspects were from,” the IGP revealed in a conversation with Geo News. 

    He also shared that 20 police teams were working on the case and being overseen by a deputy inspector-general (DIG).

    Ghani shared that the survivor had provided ages and other identifying features of the suspects. “Right now, we have a very good clue which will lead us to the suspects directly. However, we cannot share it with the media yet.”

    He also shared that police have obtained the complete voter list and record from the National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) of the area where the suspects are believed to have hailed from. 

    IG Ghani said that the woman’s children, who were forced to witness the horrific crime, were now with their family, who have been assured that they will be provided all kinds of support. He hoped that the victims of the attack would be in a much better state when the suspects are arrested.

  • IG Punjab removed after standoff with CCPO Lahore

    IG Punjab removed after standoff with CCPO Lahore

    Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Shoaib Dastagir has been removed after a standoff with Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh. CCPO Lahore is accused of speaking against the IGP. Shoaib Dastagir will be the fifth IG to be changed in Punjab. Since 2008, Dr Syed Kaleem Imam, Muhammad Tahir, Amjad Javed Saleemi, Capt. (R) Arif Nawaz Khan and Shoaib Dastagir have served at the post of IG Punjab.

    Inam Ghani has been appointed as the new IGP, announced Special Assistant to PM on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Twitter. An official notification has also been issued.

    Inam Ghani appointed new IG Punjab

    According to reports, former IGP Dastagir got upset when CCPO Sheikh allegedly told his subordinates that on any sensitive issue, the Lahore police must seek his permission even if they receive directions from the Central Police Office (CPO).

    Also Read: ‘Will reform Punjab police first after assuming power’, vows Imran Khan

    As per a report published in Dawn, Dastagir met Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar on Monday and requested him for a “transfer to any other suitable place”, saying he would not continue as the provincial police chief until the removal of the CCPO. He is also said to have skipped office on Monday and met with the CM in plain clothes, giving the Punjab government the message that he would not accept Mr Sheikh as the CCPO at any cost.

    Shoaib Dastagir has now been posted as Secretary Narcotics Control Division according to an official notification.

    Dastagir transferred as Secretary Narcotics Control Division

    More details about differences between former IGP and CCPO in this video report:

  • What you need to know about viral video of lawyer who was kidnapped and tortured for a week

    DISCLAIMER: A picture of the survivor has been used while respecting her decision to come forward and making her voice heard

    A police team has been formed to probe the kidnapping and week-long torture of a woman lawyer, Advocate Irshad Nasreen, who was recovered from Mailsi, the district police officer (DPO) has said.

    The DPO, while formally announcing the woman’s recovery, said the special team, comprising the superintendent of police (SP) for investigation, Shamsul Haq, and two deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), was tasked with searching for and arresting the kidnappers.

    The police officer noted that a FIR [First Information Report] — including charges of kidnapping — was registered on behalf of the woman’s son on August 22.

    The special team was investigating the case in light of her recorded statement, Geo quoted the cop as saying.

    The woman has been shifted to the Dipalpur Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital, the police officer said.

    A resident of Dipalpur, police had earlier told media that Nasreen was recovered in a semi-conscious state from a field near Dhoda Road in Mailsi. She was found with her hands and legs tied and unable to speak.

    The day she was recovered, police said she told them she had been kidnapped from her office by unidentified men on August 14.

    A viral video that followed her recovery showed the lawyer in a traumatised state.

    Further investigation was underway, police added.

    On Monday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan also reportedly took notice of the incident after the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) issued a statement condemning incidents of targeted killings, kidnappings and incidents of torture of lawyers.

    In the statement, PBC Vice Chairperson Abid Saqi strongly condemned the incident, saying the increasing lawlessness in Pakistan was extremely concerning. Five lawyers have been shot dead in targeted killing so far, including four in Punjab and one in Sindh, he said.

    Three lawyers in Lahore, Pakpattan, Sialkot were kidnapped and tortured, Saqi added.

    The PBC official said the torture and abduction of the woman lawyer was extremely worrisome. The woman lawyer, he added, was tortured continuously for six days after her abduction.

    She was recovered in a very critical condition in the fields in Mailsi, he added.

    Saqi further said these incidents of violence have made lawyers vulnerable and their safety compromised. The government’s indifference to targeted killings, kidnappings, and violence in just three weeks was reprehensible, he added.

    It was the duty of the government and the administration to improve the law and order situation, he said, lamenting that the incumbent leadership had failed to protect its citizens.

    The official said the current situation called into question the ability of the government. He demanded action against those involved in the targeted killings, kidnapping, and torture of lawyers.

    Meanwhile, according to reports, she was once kidnapped earlier in October 2019 as well.