Moazzam Jah Ansari takes over as new Balochistan police chief

QUETTA: In Balochistan, the largest region of the country in terms of land, the police leadership of the province has been reshuffled and Moazzam Jah Ansari has been appointed as the new IG of Balochistan Police.

The former top officer of Balochistan Police, Abdul Khaliq Sheikh, was transferred and directed to report to the Establishment Division.

The change in the command of the law enforcement agencies has come amid a serious law and order situation in the region.

Jah, a Grade 22 officer, is known to have vast experience. He has also held the post of IG Balochistan earlier. He was also Commandant of Frontier Constabulary (FC) and IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

After the official appointment, the new IGP Moazzam Jah Ansari met President Asif Ali Zardari at the President’s House.

According to the statement issued by the Presidency, the President emphasized the need to take effective measures to improve the law-and-order situation in Balochistan.

The statement said that the President wished the new IGP well for his duties.

Balochistan continues to face terror incidents as at least 50 people were killed in different parts of the province earlier this week, including dozens of militants affiliated with the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist. The organization was Riots raged across the province, storming police stations, blowing up railway tracks, and setting fire to nearly three dozen vehicles.

After the recent events, President Zardari stressed the need to take all possible measures to improve the security situation in Balochistan and stressed the need for effective measures to eliminate terrorists completely.

The President expressed these views during a meeting with Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi and Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, who discussed with them the security and law and order situation in the province on Tuesday.