The early transfer of Gujrat District Police Officer Akhtar Farooq has raised eyebrows across official and political circles in the district. The Punjab government moved him just three and a half months after he took charge, replacing him immediately with Faisal Shahzad, a BS-19 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan.
Previously posted as AIG Logistics at the Central Police Office in Lahore, Faisal Shahzad has now assumed charge as the new Gujrat DPO. Meanwhile, Akhtar Farooq has been shifted to the same AIG Logistics position at the CPO. Both officers belong to the 37th Common Training Programme and have completed the Senior Management Course, a mandatory requirement for promotion to BS-20.
Sources say that district police officers are usually allowed to complete at least one year in their posting before any transfer is considered. Interestingly, the previous Gujrat DPO, Rana Umar Farooq, was also transferred after only eight months. The sudden move of a well-reputed officer who received the civil award Tamgha-e-Imtiaz has therefore come as a surprise.
Local political sources link the Gujrat DPO Transfer to rising tensions between the ruling coalition partners, PML-N and PML-Q, in the district. The friction reportedly grew after the recent elections for the refugee seat in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Following a victory rally in Jalalpur Jattan, Gujrat police registered a case against at least 45 PML-N workers for aerial firing.
PML-N cadres accused PML-Q ministers of influencing the registration of the case, while the PML-Q side completely rejected the allegation. Officials maintain that the transfer is part of a larger reshuffle in the senior hierarchy of the Punjab Police. However, the unusually short tenure of Akhtar Farooq continues to fuel discussion in both administrative and political circles of Gujrat.
The development has once again highlighted how quickly postings can change in sensitive districts when political pressures come into play. Many observers are now watching whether the new DPO will be able to maintain stability and public confidence in the coming months.
