The Punjab government on Thursday approved a two-week leave of the top provincial police chief, Aaj News reported.

Inspector General (IG) of the Punjab Police Faisal Shahkar had applied for leave to perform Umrah.

The development comes after Shahkar requested for his services to be withdrawn from the Punjab government with “immediate effect”.

In a letter sent to the chief minister’s office (CMO) and chief secretary Punjab on Sunday, the provincial police chief had expressed his inability to continue his current assignments citing “personal reasons”.

“I am writing to convey that due to personal reasons, it is not possible for me to continue on my current assignments. It is; therefore, requested that services may kindly be withdrawn with immediate from Government of the Punjab and placed at the disposal of the Federal Government,” reads the letter.

Sources said that the IG Punjab expressed reservations over the names being mentioned in the FIR which ultimately led to the deepening of rifts between him and the coalition Punjab government.

Reportedly, PTI is not happy with the IG Punjab as the party wanted to name a senior military official in the FIR involving a gun attack on Imran Khan.

A deadlock over the registration of a case continued following the refusal by PTI Chairman Imran Khan to withdraw the name of a senior army officer from the complaint.

Punjab IGP seeks transfer as ‘FIR crisis’ deepens

Last week, ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan suffered multiple bullet wounds to his leg after a gunman opened fire on his container as he was leading the PTI’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’.

PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi, son of Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, held a meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Lahore, on Sunday and discussed matters pertaining to the registration of FIR following an attack on Khan and other party leaders.

Sources said the former premier directed Moonis to remove IGP Faisal from his post and he assured Khan of implementing his direction.

On Saturday, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi had urged the IGP to resign from the post saying that if he “cannot register an FIR against the attack(s) on Imran Khan then he should leave the post”.

Faisal was appointed the new IG of the Punjab Police in July. He previously served as the Inspector General of the Pakistan Railways Police (PRP).