LAHORE: Punjab government on Tuesday removed Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Rana Abdul Rauf and Superintendent Police (SP) Chaudhry Asghar Gujjar for the alleged treatment meted out to Shahbaz Gill at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, said Punjab’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Raja Basharat.
According to Basharat, both officers have been sacked following their “criminal silence” and “illegal actions” over PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s treatment at the Central Jail Adiala in Rawalpindi.
DIG Special Branch Faisal Ali Raja has been given the charge of additional inspector general (AIG) of special branch.
Government of Punjab has also transferred two provincial secretaries Ali Jan Khan and Imran Sikandar.
Portfolios of the two have been swapped with Khan appointed as secretary sports and youth affairs and Sikandar given the charge of secretary specialised healthcare and medical education.
Earlier today, Punjab Home Minister Col (retd) Muhammad Hashim Dogar rubbished rumours regarding the ill-treatment being metted out to PTI chairperson Imran Khan’s chief of staff Shahbaz Gill in police custody at Adiala Jail.
“He is perfectly alright in the jail. There is no question of him being beaten up,” the home minister said while speaking with journalists outside Adiala Jail.
“I will brief PTI chairperson regarding Gill’s health condition,”, he said, after informing journalists about his meeting with Gill. Dogar stated that the PTI leader is “fine”.
The home minister also shared Gill was visited by several people during custody, adding that this is the federal government’s case and Adiala Jail is “only his custodian”.
Commenting on the state of jails in Punjab, Dogar highlighted that there are more than 40 jails in the province and the security and food provided in the jail are good.
Previously, former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi came face to face on the issue of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill.
When PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar and Hafiz Hayat contacted the IG Prisons on behalf of Khan, he told them that Prisons Department will cooperate with the federal government with regard to Gill’s medical checkup, otherwise the department should be given instructions from the Punjab chief minister because Pervaiz Elahi is the authorised person in this regard.
As per details, PTI leaders and IG Prisons Mirza Shahid Saleem had an exchange of harsh words on the issue of shifting Shahbaz Gill to the hospital of their choice.
Khan's party members told IG Prisons not to cooperate with the federal government with regard to Gill and shift him to the hospital to which he is referring. But IG Prisons declared the PTI leader as an accused by the federal government and warned them to not interfere in the matter, as it will be a violation of the law.
IG Prisons said that he could not follow unlawful order and told PTI leaders to contact Punjab CM, instead of pressurising him.