LAHORE: The Punjab government has surrendered services of seven `unwanted` DIG-ranked police officers to Islamabad to create space for the appointment of BS-20 officials serving in Sindh and otherprovinces.

Of them, the transfer of four policemen from Punjab was being linked to `a political move` while others were repatriated for `being considered unwanted`An of ficial privy to the development said the repatriation of DIG Research & Development Police Punjab Sarfraz Ahmad Falki was surprising when it appeared that his name was included in the list ofseven police ofñcersforlodging a case against PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar during his posting in Gujranwala as city police officer (CPO).

He said Mr Tarar was arrested and sent behind bars on July 25, 2021 on the polling day of election of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) Legislative Assembly for forcibly entering into a police station and misbehaving with the then SSP investigation Ali Syed and the SHO.

Inhisreportsentto the thenIGPunjab Inam Ghani, Mr Falki as CPO Gujranwala had informed that Mr Tarar, his brother, personal assistant and other party activists made a big fuss at the police station to get their arrested worl(ers released.

The report had stated that the PML-N worl(ers had been arrested for scuffling with the PTI men during polling at Alipur Chattha.

The official said after coming into power in Punjab, the PML N had `marked` Sarfraz Falki on the [alleged] request of Mr Tarar.

He said Mr Falki had served five districts of Punjab as DPO.

He also served as SSP Operations Lahore and was transferred from Punjab under rotation policy for serving more than 15 years consecutively.

Falki rejoined Punjab hardly a year back, he said adding that his repatriation on `political grounds` within a period of one year again to Establishment Division (ED), Islamabad, was somewhat worrisome for his colleagues.

About Syed Mohammad Amin Bukhari, the official said he was one of those officers who had not been part of `powerful police lobby` in Punjab.

He said Mr Bukhari was repatriated from Punjab when he was serving as SP in Lahore in 2013.

Later, he was posted in Balochsitan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad against various positions and transferred back to Punjab in October 2021 after a gap of eight years or so.

His first posting was made as SSP Discipline Lahore. On promotion from SSP to DIG rank, he was transferred a few months later and posted as DIG Telecommunication Punjab.

Again, Bukhari was transferred and posted asDIG Elite Force Punjab, the official said adding he was given non-field assignments since he came back to Punjab.

About the other DIGs, the official said three senior police officers including Punjab DIG Legal Naeem Ahmad Sheikh, DIG Information Technology Iqbal Dara Dayo and additional IG Investigation Munir Ahmad Sheikh belonged to the Sindh province.

He said they were transferred to Punjab under rotation policy during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government.

Similarly, some police officers (BS-20) were also transferred from Punjab to Sindh under the same policy.

There were reports that Sindh and Punjab wanted their officers back to their home provinces and both sides agreed mutual reshuffle of the officials.

In November 2021, the Establishment Division had reshuffled [under rotation policy-2020] 19 police officers serving as DIGs in BS-20 for spending more than a specified period of10 yearsin aprovince/unit.

Most of them were mutually rotated in Punjab, Sindh and KP while some were postedin other federal units like Federal Investigation Agency and Pakistan Railways.

The officers, who were transferred from Punjab to Sindh, included Khurram Ali Shah, Sultan Chaudhry, Shahzad Akbar, Zaeem Iqbal Sheikh, Zubair Dreshak, Sohail Akthar Sukhera and Inam Waheed.

Of them, Mr Sulchera and Inam Waheed had already been transferred bacl( to Punjab recently.

Similarly, DIG Traffic Punjab Shariq Jamal and Commandant Police Training College Chuhng Ahmad Jamalur Rehman were also among the others repatriated from the province.

Mr Jamal`s brother and a sister belonged to the Pakistan Administrative Service.

On Wednesday, the Punjab government issued a notification addressing to the secretary establishment, Islamabad, wherein it requested to recall seven DIGs from the province.

`I am directed to refer to the subject and state that services of these seven police officers posted in Punjab were no more required by the government,` reads a notification of the Services & General Administration Department.