Islamabad: A senior police officer has been transferred over an incident involving the former husband of Pakistan’s first lady.
Khawar Maneka, former husband of Bushra Bibi, was reportedly intercepted by police at a checkpoint in Pakpattan district on August 23 — the second day of Eid Al Adha.
Pakpattan district is the hometown of the first lady.
Maneka reportedly took offence at being stopped and would not let the officers search his vehicle.
Rather according to police sources, he hurled abuses at them for stopping his car.
According to police, Maneka then called District Police Officer (DPO) Rizwan Omar Gondal and asked him to initiate an inquiry against the officers.
However, Gondal told him they were performing their duties and, in his opinion, they had not done anything wrong.
After a heated exchange of words with DPO Gondal, Maneka drove away in a rage.
Later, Gondal and the Regional Police Officer were summoned by Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar at his 7-Club Road office and were directed to go to Maneka’s village outhouse and apologise to him.
The DPO refused to do so and stood by how he had handled Maneka’s complaint.
As a result of his ‘disobedience’, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Kaleem Imam through a notification dated August 27, 2018 transferred him from Pakpattan with immediate effect directing him to report to the Central Police Office, Punjab Lahore.
Gondal, who topped the Civil Superior Services (CSS) exams in 2007, has reportedly since been transferred by the Punjab government and made Officer on Special Duty (OSD) — a post that is considered of little value.
The move has generated heated debate on social as well as print and electronic media, prompting allegations of influence peddling and causing embarrassment for the PTI government.
On social media, many people were asking “Is this the new Pakistan Imran Khan has been promising?”
Talking to Gulf News, sources in PTI said although Maneka was not directly affiliated with the party, his position as former husband of Bushra Bibi and a close friend of Prime Minister Imran Khan has made him a very important person (VIP).
Recently, his daughter Mehru Hayat also joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
This is the second incident in a fortnight in which individuals — either from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or those close to its office-bearers — have created problems for the party.
Earlier on August 15, a PTI Member of Provincial Assembly in Karachi, Dr Imran Shah, was caught on video humiliating a local citizen on a Karachi road.
After a public outcry over the incident, Prime Minister Imran Khan had to issue orders for disciplinary action against him.
