The government on Friday appointed Faisal Shahkar as the new Inspector General (IG) of the Punjab Police ahead of the much-anticipated election for the province's chief minister.

The Cabinet Secretariat issued the notification hours before the closely-watched election that may trigger a change of government in the country's largest province.

As per the notification, Shahkar – a BS-22 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan – has been transferred and posted as a provincial police officer with the approval of the federal government.

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He was previously serving as the Inspector General of Pakistan Railways Police (PRP). Shahkar replaces Rao Sardar with immediate effect.

Earlier, Aaj News reported that top-ranking government officials — IG Punjab and Chief Secretary Kamran Afzal — sent their transfer requests to the incumbent government a few days ago.

Their requests came after PTI Chairman Imran Khan, following the party’s win in the recently-held Punjab by-election, warned that he remembers the name of "every police and government official involved" in activities against his party.