Govt set to remove Islamabad IG, DC on ECP orders

The federal government has decided to remove Islamabad Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan and Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon from their posts following orders from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), The News reported on Wednesday.

The government also maintained that there would be no further delay in the matter. Dr Khan is a grade 20 officer, while Memon is serving at grade 19 in the Pakistan Administrative Service.

The government had earlier not promptly implemented the orders, despite the ECP’s directive on October 26, conveyed to the Secretary Establishment Division, urging the removal of both officials.

In a letter sent by the Election Commission to the Establishment Division, it was directed to remove the IG and the deputy commissioner from their posts, but the instructions were not implemented by the federal government.

But now there has been progress in this regard and the Ministry of Interior has written a letter to the Establishment Division to change them.

Dr Akbar Nasir Khan was appointed as the police chief of the capital city by the Shehbaz Sharif government on May 21, 2022. He was serving in the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) then.

In October last year, the IG Islamabad was embroiled in a graft issue after the Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab registered a case against him.

ACE Punjab summoned him multiple times, seeking a reply on corruption charges, accusing him of tampering with documents to award contracts and causing Rs30.5 million loss to the government. However, the IG Islamabad did not respond to the notices.