Punjab Government Removes All Top Management and Security in Rawalpindi

The Punjab government has launched an unprecedented administrative cleanup in Rawalpindi, removing the entire top-tier civil management cadre and police hierarchy in a sweeping change late Friday night. Marking a first in the region's history, every key administrative post, from the regional commissioner to assistant commissioners of sub-divisions, was changed simultaneously. Following instructions issued by Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Rawalpindi Commissioner Muhammad Abdul Aamer Khattak was removed and directed to report to the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) in Lahore. Local sources state that such a large-scale operation has not been seen before in the region's administrative history, noting that the changes were implemented abruptly and decisively.

The management shake-up was not limited to the top tier but extended deep into the district's finance and local administration branches, along with a complete overhaul of the police force's operational command. On the orders of the Punjab Chief Secretary, Rawalpindi Commissioner Muhammad Abdul Aamer Khattak was removed, while Deputy Commissioner Dr. Hassan Waqar Cheema was transferred to the S&GAD, and retired Captain Nadeem Nasir, the current Deputy Commissioner of Faisalabad, was appointed in his place. The changes rippled further with retired Captain Tayyab Sami Khan replacing retired Captain Sheheryar Sherazi as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), and Muhammad Akhter, former Assistant Commissioner of Kot Momin, replacing Saddar Assistant Commissioner Hakim Khan. These appointments demonstrate the government's determination to radically change the administrative structure.

The operational command within the police force was subject to a similar purge wave; Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Mehmood Hamdani was exiled to the Central Police Office in Lahore. Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera, a 20th-grade officer serving as Deputy Director of the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), was appointed as the new City Police Officer of Rawalpindi. These sudden removals and new appointments signal a significant shift in the top echelons of the police force, indicating a need to review local security strategies. Officials argue that these changes will not negatively impact security and law and order but will rather enhance the quality of service.

Although the provincial government has not explicitly stated the main reason behind this sudden and sweeping cleanup, high-level institutional sources point to intense administrative disagreements over land-use planning and zoning regulations for the Rawalpindi Ring Road corridor. This massive infrastructure project, recently stalled due to internal disputes between the project director's office and district revenue officials, became the focal point of the tension. Experts suggest that tough measures are being taken to remove bureaucratic hurdles in infrastructure projects, but there is curiosity about how this approach will affect morale within the institution.

In civil circles, there is intense speculation about the definite political or structural catalyst of this purge, especially since the trio of removed officers—Khattak, Cheema, and Hamdani—had successfully maintained their administrative influence in Rawalpindi for the past three years. The fact that these administrators remained in office for a long time, despite being appointed during Mohsin Naqvi's caretaker tenure, has caused surprise, and all transferred officers have been ordered to immediately relinquish their administrative responsibilities. While analysts debate whether this move is a show of force ahead of local elections or a genuine administrative reform, it is certain that the outcomes will have long-term effects on the Punjab administrative structure.