Gujrat district police officer's early transfer raises eyebrows

In a surprising administrative move, the Punjab government has transferred Gujrat district police officer (DPO) Akhtar Farooq after only three-and-a-half months on the job. Farooq has been replaced by Faisal Shahzad, a BS-19 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP). Shahzad previously served as AIG (Logistics) at the Central Police Office (CPO) in Lahore.

According to official sources, officers typically serve as DPO for at least a year before being considered for transfer. The early transfer of Farooq, who is a respected officer and recipient of the ‘Tamgh-e-Imtiaz’ civil honor, has raised eyebrows within local official circles. Farooq's swift promotion to DPO followed his completion of the Senior Management Course (SMC) just prior to his posting in Gujrat.

Local political sources speculate that Farooq's transfer stems from a rift between the ruling coalition partners, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) and the PML-Q, in Gujrat district. This rift emerged following the recent elections for a refugee seat in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly (LA-38). After the polls, Gujrat police arrested at least 45 PML-N workers following an incident where aerial firing was reported during a victory rally in Jalalpur Jattan.

The local PML-N cadres accused PML-Q ministers of registering a case against the PML-N workers, while the Q League denied the allegations. The incident highlights the political tensions at play in Gujrat and underscores the implications of early officer transfers within the police force.