LAHORE: The Punjab Government has appointed Captain (r) Arif Nawaz as Punjab’s police chief, according to an official notification issued on Tuesday.
The announcement came nearly three months after the retirement of Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera. Earlier, the government had assigned the additional charge of the provincial police chief to Capt (r) Usman Khattak.
Later, the provincial government confirmed Khattak as a regular IGP. However, only few hours after his appointment as permanent IGP, the Lahore High Court suspended Khattak’s appointment and the official notification highlighting in its order that the officer is set to retire after four months.
Arif Nawaz, who hails from Sahiwal district of Punjab, faces an arduous task as the new police chief of Punjab. Nawaz also served as DPO in different districts and AIG in Balochistan. He belongs to the 14th Common of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP).–Javed Iqbal
The Establishment Division has issued notification of his appointment to this effect.
His appointment comes only a day after a power powerful blast hit a busy vegetable market on a bustling main road in Lahore. At least 26 people, including nine policemen, lost their lives in the cowardly Taliban bombing.–Javed Iqbal