Sialkot DC, DPO made OSD ahead of ECP hearing.

Byline: Asif Chaudhry

LAHORE -- Sialkot deputy commissioner (DC) Zeeshan Javaid and district police officer (DPO) Hassan Asad Alvi were made officers on special duty (OSD) on Wednesday in the wake of the Daska by-election 'controversy'. The development took place just a day before their bosses - chief secretary and inspector general of police Punjab - were to appear before the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) to clarify their positions in respect of serious complaints of mismanagement and rigging in NA-75.

The ECP [on Feb 25] had summoned Punjab chief secretary Jawad Rafiq Malik and IGP Inam Ghani Khan to appear before the commission in person on March 4 (today) and the hearing would decide the fate of these officials.

As the day [March 4] approached fast, the CS and the IGP first removed Gujranwala division commissioner Gulzar Hussain Shah and regional police officer Riaz Nazir Gara on March 2.

Transfer of DPO by chief secretary violates police order

They had moved the summaries to the chief minister for the transfer/removal of the commissioner and the RPO.

Now, they made OSD the Sialkot DC and DPO apparently in a bid to satisfy or 'placate' the ECP as the commission had taken notice of the [rigging] complaints, particularly, when some presiding officers 'disappeared' with ballot boxes on the polling day, an official privy to the information told Dawn.

He said the action against the four senior officials kicked off a debate among the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) officers who believed that the CS and the IGP were making their juniors 'scapegoat.'

According to the notifications issued on Wednesday, the DC and the DPO have been directed to report to the Services and General Administration Department (SandGAD) for further orders.

The official said the Punjab government had made a 'gross mistake' while issuing notification of transfer of the DPO (BS-19) in violation of the Police Order 2002.

As per the Police Order 2002, powers would be exercised by the provincial police officer for the transfer of the DPO.

Sub section (1) of section 15 reads, 'The provincial police officer may post a city police officer for a city district notified as a...