SC suspends transfer order of controversial Lahore CCPO

ISLAMABAD    -     The Supreme Court of Pakistan Friday suspended the trans­fer order of Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Ghulam Mahmood Dogar.

A three-member SC bench comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ah­san, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Ak­bar Naqvi heard the CCPO Ghu­lam Mehmood Dogar transfer case. During the course of pro­ceedings, the Secretary Elec­tion Commission and Director General (Law) ECP appeared in the court. Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan asked whether the Chief Elec­tion Commissioner had come to the court.

Upon this, the Secretary Elec­tion Commission replied that the Chief Election Commission­er was not able to come due to his illness. He said that the Punjab government made a first verbal request to transfer the CCPO on 23 January.

Justice Mazahar Akbar Naqvi inquired whether the Election Commission could allow trans­fers and postings under normal circumstances.

Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan said that the Election Commission could allow the transfer in import­ant situations according to the rules. Justice Munib Akhtar in­quired how the transfer was made on a verbal request. He asked who had empowered the Chief Election Commission­er to transfer officers on ver­bal request. He asked if a Mr X called and made such a re­quest, would the court allow it? He asked under what laws assistant commissioners were transferred at the request of a caretaker government.

Justice Munib Akhtar re­marked that the Election Com­mission had the power to per­mit the transfer, not just the Chief Election Commissioner.

He asked was it the tradition of Election Commission that transfer was done on verbal re­quest. The Secretary Election Commission said that after the verbal request, a written re­quest was also made. He said that such transfers had taken place in the ECP earlier as well.

Justice Muneeb Akhtar said that Ghulam Mehmood Dog­ar was transferred on a verbal request, then a written request came. The Secretary Election Commission told the court that the government made an oral request for the transfer of Ghu­lam Mehmood Dogar on 23 Jan­uary while a written request was received on January 24 and it was approved on February 6.

Justice Munib Akhtar in­quired whether orders were issued on oral request even in normal circumstances.