Rao Abdul Kareem is a Pakistani police officer who has been serving as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Punjab since 3 February 2026. He was appointed following a major reshuffle in provincial and federal law enforcement leadership.
Rao Abdul Kareem joined the Police Service of Pakistan in 1996 after qualifying through the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination.
During his career, he has served in various operational and command positions. He has worked as Superintendent of Police (SP) in Lahore and as District Police Officer (DPO) in Jhang, Mianwali, and Kasur, gaining experience in both urban and rural policing.
He later served as Regional Police Officer (RPO) Gujranwala and held the position of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Telecommunications and Transport in Sindh.
Kareem also served as Additional Inspector General of the Punjab Highway Patrol, where he oversaw highway security and traffic enforcement across the province.
Before being appointed IGP Punjab, he was serving as Additional Inspector General of the Special Branch in Punjab, a department responsible for intelligence and internal security.
Earlier in his career, he worked as Director of Immigration at the Federal Investigation Agency, where he dealt with border management and immigration matters.
In February 2026, the Government of Punjab appointed Rao Abdul Kareem as Inspector General of Police, replacing Dr Usman Anwar as part of a senior level administrative reshuffle.