LAHORE - Former officer of the Police Service of Pakistan, Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera last week was again “recruited” in the police department. The ex-inspector general of police now will work as advisor to the police department. He will enjoy the status equal to a provincial minister, thanks to his affiliation with the PML-N leadership. 

On the day of his retirement, Sukhera told a few reporters that he would stay at home and he was no more interested in finding a new job. But hours later, a notification issued by the Chief Minister’s Office stunned many crime reporters.

“Chief Minister is pleased to appoint Sukhera as an Advisor to the police department for information technology and police reforms (particularly Thana culture) with immediate effect.” This notification was issued by the provincial government only one day after the ex-IGP got retirement after reaching the age of superannuation.

So, Sukhera and another character Rana Maqbool, also former Punjab IGP, will work together to reform the corruption-riddled police department. Rana Maqbool has been working as Special Assistant to chief minister for the last several years. Like Sukhera, Maqbool was accommodated by the provincial government because of his affiliation with the PML-N leadership.

During his three-year service tenure, Mushtaq Sukhera was faced strong criticism due to one or another reason. Even opposition leaders including PTI chief Imran Khan had come down hard on Sukhera for his affiliation with the PML-N.

Under his command, the provincial police committed many blunders and Sukhera apologized after each blunder. The day Sukhera took over as chief of the country’s largest law enforcement agency, police shot and killed 14 protesters outside Minhaj Secretariat in Lahore. Later, the IGP strongly denied media reports suggesting that he himself had ordered the officers to open fire on agitators as protests turned violent.

The police shooting had not only brought bad name for the department but also the ruthless killings sparked countrywide protests against the ruling PML-N. Ultimately, the political mess coupled with angry protests forced the government to file murder cases against the PM, Punjab CM, and federal ministers.

Following the Model Town tragedy, the country’s biggest child sex abuse scandal in district Kasur had further exposed the system in place. The mess-up in the police had raised many eyebrows. Sukhera then visited the village, met the victim families, and sought apology from the public stating, “We are ashamed”. Many police officers including Additional IGP Arif Mushtaq, Kasur DPO Rai Babar Saeed and SP (Investigations) were removed from key posts to cool down the situation.

Ex-IGP Sukhera had to “feel sorry” for the fourth time when the police-led operation proved disastrous against some gang leaders in the Rajanpur’s river island. Several police officers were killed and many others were abducted by criminals soon after the police launched the ground operation in Katcha area of district Rajanpur. Ultimately, the paramilitary forces were called to rescue the abducted policemen and to clear the area from criminals.

Last year, ex-IGP Sukhera had “expressed regret” over the bomb attack on families in Lahore’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal. He sought apology from the people of Lahore after a suicide bomber sneaked into the families and detonated his vest, killing over 75 people mostly children in Lahore’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal (park). Over three hundred people were wounded in the deadliest attack in years. “We feel sorry because we could not protect you,” Sukhera stated this while referring to the people of Lahore at a meeting of police officers called after the Lahore blast.  Again, two deadly suicide blasts hit the Punjab capital this year. Several police officers and army personnel died in the barbaric attacks as police failed to thwart the terror strikes despite prior warnings.

The development regarding the appointment of Sukhera as Advisor to the police department is not welcomed in police circles. Some officers termed the decision as an “extension in service” and the others were of the view that the appointment was an outcome of nepotism and favouritism.

One hope that Sukhera “will not leave any stone unturned” to reform policing in the province within months, no matter he commanded the largest law enforcement agency for years and failed to make any difference.

In another development, the city police department last week reshuffled station house officers of several high-income police stations in Lahore.

SHO Ghaziabad Inspector Atique Ahmed was transferred to Police Lines. South Cantt SHO Qammar Abbas was transferred and posted as SHO Ghaziabad. Sub-Inspector Abdullah Jan was posted as SHO South Cantt. Similarly, SHO Manawan Inspector Nasarullah was transferred and posted as SHO Kot Lakhpat. Also, SHO Kot Lakhpat Imran Qammar was transferred and posted as SHO Naseerabad.

Sub Inspector Rafi Ullah was transferred from Police Lines and posted as SHO Manawan. Inspector Nasir Ali Gull was transferred from Police Lines and posted as SHO Sarwar Road. Inspector Muhammad Ashfaq was transferred from Police Lines and posted as SHO Kahna police station.

The police stations having highest crime rate are still considered as the “best police stations”. In such stations, the police collect huge monthly income from narcotics dealers and those running brothels or gambling dens. The postings and transfers are ordered on someone’s recommendations.

Most of the SHOs collect ‘monthly’ from brothels, guesthouses and gambling dens. The monthly income of the high-income police stations varies from Rs one million to Rs two million, depending upon the numbers of brothels, drug dealers and gambling dens in the area.

Lahore’s police stations including Nolakha, Tibbi City, Qila Gujjar Singh, Naseerabad, Sabzazar, Lorry Adda, Shafiqabad, Shadbagh, Baghbanpura, Shahdara, Defense-A, Nawan Kot, Satu Katla, Badami Bagh, Factory Area, and Kot Lakhpat are considered A-One police stations from where police generate more than Rs two million ‘monthly’ income. Similarly, Iqbal Town, Johar Town, Nawab Town, Ghalib Market, Shahdara Town, Misri Shah, Garhi Shahu, Bhatti Gate, Gowalmandi, Lohari Gate, Manga Mandi, Hanjarwal, Kahna, South Cantonment, North Cantonment, and Chuhng police stations are said to be category-B police stations from where police collect more than one million rupees per month.

Not enough, the ‘monthly’ income from the category-C police stations ranges from Rs500,000 to Rs700,000 and these police stations includes Samanabad, Wahdat Colony, Millat Park, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Shalimar, Gujjarpura, Islampura, Manawan, Sanda, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Mustafa Town, and Masti Gate, Harbanspura, Batapur, Gulberg, Faisal Town, Ichhra, and Ghaziabad police stations.