Punjab cops motivated to work under new IG Rao Sardar Ali Khan

LAHORE: Senior Police officials and cops are happy with the appointment of the new Inspector General (IG) Rao Sardar Ali Khan and are motivated to work under his leadership, BOL News learnt on Wednesday.

Former inspector general of Islamabad Police Tariq Masood Yasin told BOL News that the new top cop of Punjab is a highly professional, competent and honest officer with a strong character.

“He can be a good face of the government provided he is given a free hand to choose and maintain his team,” Yasin said.

Agreeing with him, former IGP and NACTA head Khawaja Khalid Farooq said that the new IG is quiet by nature but otherwise he is an honest and apolitical officer.

“Professionally competent and straight forward person. I will be happy if he is allowed to stay for some reasonable time as IGP,” Farooq told BOL News.

Sardar was born in Lodhran on February 21, 1965, and completed his MBBS from King Edward Medical College. He joined the Police Service of Pakistan at the age of 25 in 1990 and belonged to the 18th Common Training Program (CTP).

“During the 31-year of his service he served in key positions across Pakistan and also served with a UN Mission. Before officially joining in as IG Punjab he was serving as DG Safe Cities Authority and had also served as Regional Police Officer (RPO) Bahawalpur and Sargodha,” a senior superintendent of police (SSP) told BOL News.

He added that Sardar has also served as additional IG CTD Punjab, joint DG Intelligence Bureau (IB), DIG operations Lahore and CPO Faisalabad.

Sources said that during his tenure as DG safe cities authority the project was extended to different cities of Punjab. He also improved Lahore’s safe city project.

“We are sure that crime rate would decline under his leadership, as during his stay as RPO Bahawalpur and Sargodha he improved the police response time in those districts,” a senior police official said.

“He is honest to the core and corrupt officials who used to get good and lucrative posts with the help of bribes are worried about his appointment as he will follow merit,” another police official said.

A senior official posted at the CPO shared that Sardar is known for not taking pressure from anyone and always follows merit.

“If Sardar is giving free hand by the CM and there is no political interference he has the ability to turn around the department and mitigate the crime rate of the province.” a senior police official from CPO told BOL News.

New IG meets CM Punjab

On the day of his appointment, IG Sardar had also called on Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar at his office and vowed to take every step to improve the police system.

The CM issued instructions to him to further improve the law and order situation in the province.

“The People have a lot of expectations from the police and supremacy of merit and law should be ensured as protection of life and property of the people is a fundamental duty of the police,” Buzdar had told the new police chief of the province.