'Culpable cop' appointed IG Punjab

[Ali_Syed]

The IG Punjab has promised action against the negligence of 3 officer during the attack on Srilankan cricket team. Its interesting to note that the same person was head of city police and was overall responsible for the security of the Srilankan team.

Is there any shame left?

Dunya News: Pakistan:- Action against 3 officers in Sri Lanka team attac…

**Action against 3 officers in Sri Lanka team attack: IGP
**
Addressing to passing out parade of 6th Upper Class and 10th Intermediate Course at Chuhng, Inspector General of Police Punjab Haji Habib-ur-Rehman said that action would be taken soon against the police officers whose irresponsibility has proven in Sri Lankan team attack.Haji Habib said that Thana culture should be ended and police officials should solve applicants’ problems.He said that all police stations would be made model stations. IG Punjab also distributed prizes among police personnel for best performance.

?Culpable cop? appointed new Punjab?police chief | The Nation](http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/19-Feb-2012/‘culpable-cop-appointed-new-punjab police-chief)

‘Culpable cop’ appointed new Punjab police chief

LAHORE –** The entire police hierarchy and many politicians in Punjab were caught by surprise on Friday when the federal government faxed a notification to the province, ordering abrupt replacement of the Inspector General of Police.**
The person who was the head of City Police in early 2009 when militants carried out the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team, which resulted in the Pakistan being deprived of international cricket events, has now been reappointed as chief of the country’s largest police force.
Haji Habib-ur-Rehman has taken the charge of his new assignment as IGP Punjab while Javed Iqbal has been posted as the head of the Federal Investigation Agency. It is yet unclear what the extraordinary Haji Habib has achieved during the last three years as a career officer that prompted the federal government to appoint him on the most lucrative post in the police bureaucracy.
Haji, who joined the Police Service of Pakistan in 1977 as ASP, had been appointed as Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore in 2009 when President Asif Ali Zardari imposed Governor Rule in the province thus overthrowing the regime of his political opponents, the PML-N.
But after the Long-March when the President lifted Governor Rule from the province and Shahbaz Sharif government again came to power, Haji Habib-ur-Rehman was replaced and posted as Commandant Punjab Constabulary. Since then Rehman was serving in the Constabulary as Additional IG. But now, all of sudden, he has been inducted as IGP.
Political pundits believe that although Mr Rehman was ‘loyal’ to the PPP government during his term as CCPO, he has managed to gain the trust of Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif during the last three years.
However, some local political leaders say that the federal government had not taken the province into confidence as for as the abrupt replacement of the top cop is concerned.
More interestingly, in April 2009, a single bench tribunal of Lahore High Court had recommended strict action against 10 police officers including the new police chief, holding them accountable for terrorist attack on Sri Lanka cricket team.
Justice Shabbar Raza Rizvi who had recorded the detailed accounts of senior police officials states that the then commander of Lahore police Haji Habib-ur-Rehman, had failed to understand the circumstances under which the Sri Lankan cricket team had come to Pakistan, and to apprehend the challenges faced by the country.
In view of the given scenario at that time it was reported that he was required to lead his force from the front but instead he left everything to his junior officers. According to the findings of the report, “he was neither in his office nor in the field at the time of the incident and reached the spot much later. His presence at the spot or in his office before 8:00 AM could have made a lot of difference.”
Months after the incident, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had told the media that his government had approved action against the responsible police officers immediately after receiving the report from Additional IGP Salahuddin. He also stated that the government had decided to surrender the officials to the Establishment Division with recommendations that stringent action, including removal from service, be initiated against them.
The new police boss on Saturday told reporters, “In order to make the province crime free, combat terrorism and to secure the lives and properties of the people, the police department should be made free of corruption so that professional duties could be performed easily.” Haji further claimed that investigation sections throughout the Punjab would be modernized on scientific lines so that professional and latest techniques could be adopted for getting better result in this field.
The new man has taken the charge of the most responsible slot at a time when law and order situation is worsening with unprecedented bank robberies, killings, and kidnappings across Punjab while corruption is flourishing in the police department.
One can only hope that he would ensure security for the visiting international cricket players if such mega events resume in the terrorism-hit country. For now let us leave apart the slogans of ‘corruption-free policing’ and ‘justice at the doorstep’.

[Ali_Syed]

Re: ‘Culpable cop’ appointed IG Punjab

Some info about the progress on the Srilankan team attack, andthe IG is mentioned at around 1 minute.

Video Portal Geo TV Network : Sri lankan Team Attacked