ISLAMABAD: The Government on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Punjab, a notification said.

Khan, a BS-21 officer serving under the Punjab government, was ?transferred and posted as Provincial Police Officer (PPO), Government of the Punjab, in his own pay and scale, with immediate effect?, the notification read.

The new IG takes over from Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera, who retired from the post in April, following a three-decade-long stint in the police service. He is one of the three top officials touted to be promoted to this post ? the other two, according to one of Pakistan?s leading media outlets, were Amjad Javed Salimi ? the additional IGP of Punjab Highway Patrol ? and Capital City Police Officer (CCPO)-Lahore Amin Wains.

The newly-appointed IG had held this post on a temporary basis following Sukhera?s retirement. The move to make him the top police officer of Punjab comes amid high expectations and speculations, especially in light of the upcoming general elections in 2018.

Among his colleagues and friends, Khan was considered as the right choice since he introduced IT strategies in the police force under the mentorship of Sukhera. Moreover, his professional closeness to his former superior makes him a significant element near Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.