The Punjab government has appointed Rao Abdul Kareem as the new inspector general of Punjab Police, replacing Dr. Usman Anwar in a major change at the top of the province’s law enforcement.

The decision was made after consultations between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, according to official sources.

Rao Abdul Kareem is a senior career police officer with almost 30 years of experience in policing and administration. He joined the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) in 1996 after clearing the CSS examination.

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Over the years, he has served in several important field roles. He worked as superintendent of police in Lahore and as district police officer in Mianwali, Kasur, and Jhang, handling both urban and rural law and order challenges.

He later held senior command positions, including regional police officer Gujranwala and deputy inspector general Telecommunications and Transport in Sindh. He also served as additional inspector general with the Punjab Highway Patrol, where he oversaw highway security and traffic management across the province.

During the past year, Rao Abdul Kareem was serving as inspector general of the Special Branch Punjab, a key role focused on intelligence gathering and internal security.

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Earlier in his career, he also worked with the Federal Investigation Agency as director of immigration, dealing with border control and immigration-related matters.

Meanwhile, Dr. Usman Anwar has been appointed as the new director general of the Federal Investigation Agency, moving from his role as Punjab police chief to lead the federal body.