Mushtaq Mahar assumes charge of office in change of command ceremony

A grade 22 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan, Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar, on Monday assumed the charge as the 60th police chief of Sindh, replacing Dr Syed Kaleem Imam, a grade 21 officer who relinquished charge of his office and handed over the responsibilities to the Sindh police’s top cop.

The outgoing IGP welcomed the new IGP in a first-ever change of command ceremony at the Central Police Office (CPO). Earlier, the officers at the CPO bid farewell to Imam. Special contingent presented guard of honour to the outgoing and incoming police chiefs.

The officers offered fateha and laid a floral wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shahuda in the CPO. DIG Headquarters Sindh Abdul Khaliq Shaikh said that change of command ceremony had been held for the first time at the CPO and its credit goes to the outgoing IGP. Before relinquishing charge of his office, Dr Imam held a video link conference and thanked the Sindh police officers for their contribution and coordination with him as a team. Dr Imam said the department was working hard and would continue the hard work with sincerity and honesty.

After a prolong tussle between the Sindh government and the Sindh police, the federal government on Friday finally removed Dr Syed Kaleem Imam from the post and appointed Mushtaq Mahar as the new police chief of Sindh.

“Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar, a BS-22 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan presently serving as IG, Pakistan Railways Police, under Ministry of Railways, is transferred and posted as Provincial Police Officer, Government of Sindh, with immediate effect and until further orders,” reads a notification issued by government of Pakistan Cabinet Secretariat Establishment Division.

Mahar’s name was on the top of the list of the five police officers recommended by the Sindh government for the post of IG Sindh to replace incumbent police chief Syed Kaleem Imam.

Earlier, on Feb 1, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had penned yet another letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan to remove Inspector General of Police Kaleem Imam and pick one of the five names recommended by the provincial government for the coveted slot of the top cop. This was a third letter the province’s chief executive has written to the premier on the issue of appointment of a new IG.

Mushtaq Mahar has served twice as the additional IG of Karachi. Before his appointment as IGP Sindh, Mahar was serving as the Inspector General of the Pakistan Railway

Police.

He has also served as the additional inspector general traffic, SSP Nawabshah, SSP Dadu, DIG Mirpurkhas, DIG South Karachi Range, DIG Special Branch Sindh, DIG Headquarters Sindh, DIG Crimes Sindh, United Nations Mozambique and DIG and SSP of the Counter Terrorism Department of the Sindh police. As the Karachi police chief from 2015 to 2018, he led the Karachi Operation.