Hafizabad DPO shifted after inquiry into dispute involving MPA’s son

LAHORE: Hafizabad District Police Officer (DPO) Kamran Hamid, a BS-18 officer, was transferred after an inquiry ordered by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz into a dispute involving the son of a ruling party lawmaker at the DPO office.

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Kareem was directed by the chief minister to hear both sides and determine responsibility for what was described as a dispute over the use of the DPO office’s toilet by the son of PML-N MPA Shahid Bhatti. Following the inquiry, the IGP held the officer responsible and conveyed his findings to the chief minister, after which Mr Hamid was removed from the Hafizabad posting and transferred to the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA).

How the dispute unfolded

A senior police officer said the incident took place when Mr Bhatti visited the Hafizabad DPO office with his son and some complainants from his constituency. The visit was said to be in line with instructions issued by the chief minister to ruling party legislators to get police-related issues of local residents addressed in the presence of the district police chief.

During the meeting, the MPA’s son entered the office while on a mobile phone call. The lawmaker rebuked his son and told him to end the call, calling it improper conduct inside the DPO’s office. The son later went to the DPO’s retiring room, apparently to use the washroom there.

As he came out, the DPO asked why he had used his personal washroom without permission. The son responded that it was a public office and not the DPO’s private washroom. The exchange escalated in front of visitors, and the police officer allegedly told the young man to "get lost"

Mr Bhatti stepped in and asked his son to remain calm and leave, in an effort to prevent the matter from worsening. However, after the MPA left the office, some people accompanying him described the episode as an insult to an important local political figure, further intensifying tensions.

Complaint and aftermath

The matter then spilled into local politics and social media. A Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader shared a critical social media post titled "get lost" alongside an image of a toilet commode. Mr Bhatti later raised the issue with senior PML-N politician Saira Afzal Tarar, who in turn took it up with the chief minister.

Members of the politically influential Tarar family then began pressing for the DPO’s transfer. The issue also gained wider attention in Hafizabad, where PML-N workers were said to have launched a strong social media campaign against the officer.

Mr Bhatti and his son later met IGP Abdul Kareem and complained about what they called the unacceptable attitude of the Hafizabad DPO. When asked for an explanation, Mr Hamid told the IGP that he had objected to use of the washroom because personal belongings as well as official files were kept in his retiring room. The IGP was said to be unconvinced by that explanation.

After his transfer, a social media post attributed to a member of the Tarar family appeared online stating "now you get lost" in what was described as an apparent taunt aimed at the outgoing officer.

The episode was widely discussed on social media, where many users questioned the officer’s conduct and also debated whether members of the public had the right to use washrooms in government offices. There were also indications some senior police officers had backed Mr Hamid and asked the IGP to give him a better posting in the interest of the department’s dignity and that of the Police Service of Pakistan.