Security Staff Of Pakistan Punjab CM Reshuffled Amid Security Threat

Punjab (Pakistan) Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, (AP file photo)

Pakistan’s Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday made sudden changes to her security staff, according to the order copy accessed by CNN News18.

According to the order, the Chief Security Officer of CM has been replaced. PSO to IG Punjab SP Hamza Amanullah has been appointed as the new Chief Security Officer

The abrupt reshuffle of Maryam’s security apparatus is unusual. The previous security head was allegedly in close coordination with federal security units which General Headquarters (GHQ)-controlled ISI cell.

However, the decision was taken after there were leaks from within CM House and Maryam movement details and confidential meeting schedules, intelligence sources said.

They suspected compromised loyalty and initiated a controlled replacement with trusted officers aligned to Punjab Police cadre loyal to PML-N.

They further said that the Punjab Home Department had reportedly received threat assessments from Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) about possible targeting of Maryam.

Meanwhile, according to the Indian intelligence sources the sudden security reshuffle indicates the widening gaps between Army Headquarters (GHQ) and Islamabad. They said that this was not a mere security reshuffle but a power show by the CM as she has drawn boundaries for GHQ to avoid informal control.