Punjab CM did not influence Pakpattan DPO’s transfer: IG Punjab’s report

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was only acting as a mediator and did not attempt to influence the police amidst the Pakpattan controversy that eventually led to the transfer of District Police Officer (DPO) Rizwan Gondal, former Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Kaleem Imam told the Supreme Court in his inquiry report on Wednesday. The report, submitted in the apex court today, stated that the chief minister had indeed summoned the police officials concerned without informing the IGP, but proceeded to act “only as an elder” to mediate between the parties in conflict. The CM was very hospitable towards the police officers and during the meeting, which he “hosted”, the report states, the policemen were not harassed or pressurised in any way. I mam, in his report, further observed that the Punjab CM neither issued any written orders or gave any directives pertaining to the DPO’s transfer. Instead, the report said, Buzdar had told the RPO to settle the issue himself, which “makes it clear that there was no interference in policing matters”. However, the report noted that DPO Gondal had felt that he was being “interrogated by a stranger” in the presence of the RPO and the CM during the meeting. While DPO Gondal was displeased at being called to the CM’s office, the report says, he had not complained of being harassed or pressurised in the meeting. The report recommended that, in the future, Punjab CM go through the provincial IGP to summon any police officials instead of doing so directly.