DPO Swabi’s posting halted after social media uproar

PESHAWAR: The posting of a police officer, who reported to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Islamabad last week, as District Police Officer Swabi was halted after the ruling party workers opposed the decision on social media.

According to a notification on Friday, Khan Zeb, Superintendent of Police, who was transferred from Islamabad to KP, was posted as DPO Swabi while his predecessor was posted in the Central Police Office. There were some other officers too who were transferred in the same notification.

However, a number of workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as well as some YouTubers ran a social media campaign against Khan Zeb that he was the officer who led actions against the PTI leaders and workers in Islamabad. Many videos went viral against the cop by Saturday.

On Sunday, there were reports that his posting as DPO Swabi had been stopped for some time. Some reports said the order was cancelled.

When approached, the spokesman for the KP Police Shahzada Kokab Farooq said that it was held in abeyance due to Muharram and the former DPO was to continue for a few days.

However, it is believed the posting of the officer was stopped after the social media protest by the PTI workers.

Earlier, another cop Tayyab Jan was posted as SP City in Peshawar from Dera Ismail Khan in April. His posting was cancelled the very next day when political workers opposed him.

Another officer was removed within 24 hours after leaders and workers of the ruling party opposed his posting as DSP in Peshawar.

The source said the PTI lawmakers were angry at the cop for investigating the May 9 cases against their workers in the past.

The capital city police authorities had to cancel the posting the next day.

The political interference in affairs of the force especially posting and transfer has affected the performance of the force and many districts are facing poor law and order.

The KP Police was the first force that was depoliticised during the first term of the PTI government after the 2013 general election. However, political interference increased in the affairs of the force after the Police Act was amended last year.