–Shoaib Dastgir to head Punjab Police, interior secretary Azam Suleman becomes chief secretary
LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday replaced the provincial police chief and chief secretary days after Prime Minister Imran Khan hinted at a major bureaucratic reshuffle in a meeting with Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
National Police Foundation (NPF) Managing Director Shoaib Dastaghir was appointed as the new Inspector General (IG) of the province replacing Amjad Javed Saleemi, while Interior Secretary Azam Suleman replaced Yousaf Naseem Khokhar as the provincial chief secretary.
According to a notification issued by the cabinet division on Tuesday, “Shoaib Dastaghir, a BS-21 officer of the Punjab Police who is currently serving as Managing Director of the NPF is transferred and posted as Provincial Police Officer (PPO), Government of Punjab, in his own pay and scale, with immediate notice and until further orders.”
Shoaib Dastaghir had earlier served as IG of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and is considered a competent administrator and policeman. This is the fourth time the government changed the police chief of the province since it assumed power last year.
Meanwhile, Major (r) Azam Suleman was appointed as Punjab’s new chief secretary. The outgoing chief secretary, Yousaf Naseem Khokar, is expected to be appointed as a federation secretary, according to reports.
Other changes are also expected to occur within the Punjab bureaucracy as new appointments and transfers are being considered by the government.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is reportedly not happy with the bureaucracy, especially in Punjab, and has given an approval to transfer over a hundred officers serving in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Centre.
Earlier on October 3, the Punjab bureaucracy underwent several changes as Captain (r) Muhammad Mehmood was appointed forests secretary and Dr Raheel Siddiqui was given charge of additional chief secretary for urban development.
