KARACHI: Mushtaq Mahar has replaced Syed Kaleem Imam as Sindh inspector general. The appointment has been made on recommendation of the Sindh government.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has confirmed that the federal cabinet approved appointment of the new Sindh inspector general of police.

Mushtaq Mahar was presently serving as IG Pakistan Railways police.

A notification issued by the federal cabinet secretariat’s establishment division reads, “Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar, a BS-22 officer of Police Service of Pakistan, serving as inspector general Pakistan Railways Police under the Ministry of Railways, is transferred and posted as Provincial Police Officer (PPO), Sindh, with immediate effect.”

According to the Police Order, 2002 (updated version), ‘Provincial Police Officer’ means head of the police of a general police area of the rank of Inspector General of Police.

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On the other hand, Kaleem Imam has been transferred and posted as Inspector General National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) under the Ministry of Communications with immediate effect.

In Jan the following year, the Sindh government had formally sent three names to the federation for appointment on the post of inspector general of police.

The Sindh secretary services had sent the names to the secretary establishment. Sindh government spokesperson Barrister Murtaza Wahab had said the federal government did not send any new names for the post.  He had said the centre had not rejected the names recommended by the Sindh government either.

The names suggested by the provincial government included Ghulam Qadir Thebo, Kamran Fazal and Mushtaq Mahar.

“The federal government has been requested to appoint an IG from the names sent to it by the province as has been done in the case of other provinces,” he had said.