LAHORE - More than one hundred police officials linked to the Model Town killings were removed from field postings and ordered to report to the Police Lines.
Those removed from their positions included SP and DSP-rank officers, station house officers, and in-charges of the investigation wing.
The move comes days after Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the Punjab government to remove all the police officers and official who were involved in the Model Town killings.
A police official on Wednesday said that at least 116 policemen were removed their posts in connection with the investigation into the Model Town killings. All these officials are directed to immediately report to the Police Lines. Reportedly, former Punjab IGP Muhammad Tahir was removed from his post for not taking action against the policemen despite clear-cut orders of the prime minister. The policemen removed from their postings included SHO Ahsan Ashraf Butt, Abdullah Jan, Amir Saleem, In-charge Investigation Inspector Mian Younas, Mian Shafqat and Rizwan Qadir. Also, Umar Virk, Bashir Niazi, Khalid Abu Bakar, Mudassar Ullah, Habib Jehanzeb, Karamat Ali, Qaiser, Mubashar, Akhtar, and Maqsood were also transferred and ordered to report to the Police Lines.
Earlier, four SP-rank officers were transferred to other district from Lahore. They were included SSP (Discipline and Inspection) Capital City District Lahore Muhammad Tariq Aziz, AIG Training Muhammad Maroof Masood Safdar, Lahore’s SP CIA Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi and SP Anti-Riot Unit Muhammad Nadeem.
Chief of Pakistan Awami Tehrik Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri had demanded the government to remove all the policemen who were connected to the Model Town killings. Over a dozen PAT workers were killed and more than 100 others were wounded when police opened fire on the protesters during violent clashes outside PAT Secretariat in 2014.
UK team meets DIG Operations
A two-member delegation of British High Commission met with DIG Operations Lahore Shahzad Akbar, here on Wednesday. Security matters were discussed between the DIG Operations and delegation of the British High Commission. APP reported the DIG as saying that Lahore police were providing foolproof security to foreigners in the city. Special arrangements had been taken by the police to provide security to all government and non-government projects, he added. He further said that all divisional SPs had been directed to provide security to foreigners who were working at various projects, adding, the officers had also been directed to ensure effective coordination with focal persons of all projects.