Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan

GM Dogar reappointed as CCPO Lahore

Ghulam Mehmood Dogar has been reappointed as CCPO Lahore, approximately nine months after he was removed for 'mishandling' the long march of Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in last October. Here we're briefly recalling what was referred as 'mishandling' by various media reports.

CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar viciously used brutal force against participants of peaceful long march of Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) at various places in Lahore and then at Sadhoke in last October and April 2021. More than 20 TLP workers were martyred during these crackdowns collectively while dozens got critically injured and hundreds lost their organs due to use of stun grenades, acid spray and firing of straight bullets.

Read more: Vicious use of force against peaceful long march of TLP

In last October, Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan announced a long march to Islamabad after a two-weeks long peaceful protest on Multan Road Lahore) with both roads open for traffic flow. The protest was announced after government reneged on an agreement with TLP in which it promised to expel French ambassador amid government backed screening of blasphemous caricatures in France. During all this time (two weeks), government ordered Lahore police to prepare for restricting movement of march within premises of Lahore. On October 21, when the march left for Islamabad, it was besieged by Police near MAO college Lahore in a pre-planned strategy. However, TLP workers didn't stop and keep moving when they were met with bullets firing, thousands of tear-gas shells and rubber bullets. Several workers embraced martyrdom there and hundreds got critically injured. Police then stopped ambulances to arrive at the scene stopping shifting of injured to the hospitals. Hours later, the ambulances were allowed but the injured were arrested from ambulances and hospitals. The whole operation was led by CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar himself. Later, he made two more botched attempt to restrain long march at Ravi Bridge and Batti Chowk where further causalities from TLP side were reported. However, after the march managed to leave Lahore, federal government lured TLP into talks and asked to pause long march at Muridke meanwhile. Government asked TLP for three days to act upon their demands, and Lahore Police consumed these days for preparing once again and the video of CCPO Lahore addressing to motivate the Police officers and constables to attack on march participants went viral on social media. Federal government once again stepped back from agreement after three days and Lahore Police was moved to Sadhoke to attack on march once again. On October 27th, another vicious attempt was made by Lahore Police with air support as well. Bullets were fired from helicopter on unarmed protesters. Many causalities were reported here as well, but TLP kept moving on along with bodies of its martyred workers, funeral of whom was offered near Gujranwala then.

Read more: TLP's protest against detention of Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi

Read more: TLP issues list of its martyrs during April protests

Apart from this, the same person was holding the office of CCPO when Lahore Police attacked TLP sit-in outside Jamia Masjid Rehmatulilalameen in April 2021 after detention of Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi. That botched operation was also personally led by CCPO Lahore. Both of the operation (April and October, 2021) were against the TLP protests when Imran Khan led government reneged on an agreement with TLP (signed in Novemeber 2020) in which it ensured to expel French ambassador. April sit-in was later ended after an agreement with government in which PM assured to fulfil TLP demand of tabling resolution of expulsion of French ambassador in national assembly.

Furthermore, Ghulam Mehmood Dogar was CCPO when he played as puppet of Punjab government to not release Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi despite court orders in October, 2021. Five days after federal government and TLP reached an agreement after Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman, a Karachi based businessman and COAS intervened, CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar was replaced by Fayyaz Ahmed Dev through a notification issued by Punjab government. However, Dogar was reinstated as CCPO Lahore in a notification issued on Friday July 29th and he re-assumed the charge on Saturday.