DPO Pakpattan issue: What happened during meeting at Punjab CM House?

ISLAMABAD: Former Punjab Police Chief on Wednesday submitted a detailed report to the Supreme Court into the Pakpattan DPO transfer reportedly on the involvement of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umer Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsen, heard a suo moto case regarding the transfer of DPO Pakpattan Rizwan Gondal.

On the last hearing, the court had directed the IGP to investigate the matter independently relating to interference of one Ahsan Jamil Gujjar in the transfer matter of the police official and submit the compliance report within a week besides conducting an inquiry regarding alleged involvement of Haider Ali and Rana Umer Farooq, personal secretary and security officer of Chief Minister office, in transfer matter of the DPO.

During hearing, the SC took strong exceptions to the misbehaviour with the daughter of Khawar Maneka at the hands of police and directed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Punjab, Kaleem Imam, to conduct an inquiry into the matter by identifying the police involved in the incident and submit a report within a week.

According to the report submitted to the apex court today, CM Usman Buzdar summoned RPO Sahiwal and DPO Pakpattan to his office without the IGP’s knowledge at 10:00pm on August 24.

A close friend of Maneka family Ahsan Jamil Gujjar was also present at the time when CM Buzdar called the officers in a room.

“When all the staff members of the CM left the room, Jamil complained about police behaviour with Maneka family and that the concerned officials were not addressing the matter despite several messages from friends.”

“The family was under impression that the issue is not being resolved may be due to Khawar Maneka’s political rivalry with his close relatives.”

“However, DPO Gondal explained his side of the story and clearly refused to visit and apologise to Maneka.”

The report also mentioned of tensions in the family due to second marriage of Bushra Bibi, ex-wife of Khawar Maneka, with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The meeting took place in a cordial environment and the chief minister did not interfere, it said. The purpose of the huddle in CM’s presence was to convey the sensitivity of the matter to the police officials.

The IGP stated in his report that the CM Buzdar convened the meeting so that the reservations of Maneka family are conveyed to the police officers.