LAHORE: In the midst of security challenges arising out of rising political temperature following the ongoing ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and an assassination attempt on party chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Punjab government on Thursday approved a 14-day leave of Inspector General of Police Faisal Shahkar.

According to a statement issued by the Central Police Office (CPO), the Punjab government has approved the request of incumbent IG Police Faisal Shahkar to grant him leave from November 10, 2022 to November 23, 2022 as he wanted to go to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.

Subsequently, the Punjab government approved Shahkar’s request and allowed him leave for 14 days, the statement said, adding that the government has handed over the charge of acting IG Punjab to Additional IG Elite Force Kunwar Muhammad Shahrukh. Kunwar is a Grade-21 officer of the Pakistan Police Service (PPS) and belongs to the 18th Common of Police.

A couple of days ago, IG Faisal had refused to work with the current political set-up in Punjab led by Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi after PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi passed hateful and insulting remarks against him at a rally.

It is worth mentioning that after submission of resignation to the PM, the IG Punjab was not coming to the CPO and had been looking after necessary works from his camp office near his residence.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Cabinet in a recent meeting expressed ‘no confidence’ against IG Faisal for his failure to lodge the FIR against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior military officer whom Imran Khan suspect were behind the plot to assassinate him.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022