Pakistan on Tuesday reshuffled the leadership of its largest provincial police force, appointing Rao Abdul Kareem as the new inspector general of police (IG) for Punjab.

He replaces Dr Usman Anwar, who has been appointed director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), according to notifications issued by the Establishment Division. The changes took effect immediately.

In a related move, the incumbent FIA chief, Raja Riffat Mukhtar, was named officer on special duty (OSD), officials said, completing a broader reshuffle at senior levels of law enforcement.

Rao Abdul Kareem previously served as additional inspector general in the Special Branch, while Dr Usman Anwar is a senior police officer with extensive experience in administration and law enforcement.

The leadership changes come amid public scrutiny of the Punjab Police following the recent deaths of a woman and her infant daughter in Lahore, an incident that raised questions about public safety, administrative oversight and police handling of the case.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised Dr Usman Anwar’s tenure as Punjab police chief in a post on X, highlighting reforms and administrative improvements introduced during his leadership.