Illegal appointments case: IG Sindh issued show-cause notice

Supreme Court asks Ghulam Haider Jamali to explain why he failed to respond to departmental inquiry

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) issued on Wednesday a show-cause notice to Sindh police chief Ghulam Haider Jamali to explain why he failed to respond to departmental communication regarding alleged illegal appointments in the Sindh Reserve Police (SRP) in Sukkur.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, directed the inspector general (IG) of police to furnish an explanation.

The bench was hearing a human rights application seeking action against the IG and other officers over 993 appointments in SRP Sukkur, allegedly in violation of service laws.

On Wednesday, the bench heard arguments from Sindh Advocate General Abdul Fateh Malik, Additional IG Traffic Khadim Hussain Bhatti, DIGs Munir Shaikh, Aftab Ahmed Pathan and Naeem Ahmed Shaikh and perused material made available on record by them.



The record showed that illegal appointments made in the police were reported in a news report and SC took notice of it, and issued a notice to IG Jamali calling upon him to submit a report on August 19 this year.

Upon receiving the notice, the IG, in an attempt to allegedly cover up his inaction, appointed AIG Bhatti as the inquiry officer on August 24.

Bhatti submitted his report on November 11, which was found dissatisfactory by the SC.

Later, the inquiry by DIG Munir Shaikh was sent to DIG Training Abdul Khaliq Shaikh, who ordered a major penalty on then PA to DIG Training Inayatullah Qadri and former OSI to Superintendent of Police SRP Sukkur, Sub-Inspector Shah Baig Behan.



SC judges noted that the record does not reveal that at any point the IG took action or disbelieved reports of the inquiry officers.

“We, therefore, reject the inquiry report, which is not honest and has been activated at the behest of the IG after intervention by this court,” the bench observed.

In the aforesaid peculiar circumstances of the case, we issue show-cause notice to the IG to explain why he failed to respond to recommendations in DIG Munir Shaikh’s inquiry report besides letters addressed by DIG Abdul Khaliq Shaikh and DIG Pathan, it observed further.

He [IG] should also submit an explanation as to how, in defiance of SHC Sukkur’s orders, he has approved the proposal of appointments of 126 petitioners. This explanation should reach this court within two weeks from the date of communication of this order, it was stated further.



The bench constituted a committee comprising AIG Khawaja, AIG Sanaullah Abbasi and AIG Naeem Sheikh to probe the matter and submit a report to the court.

“In case it is found that the appointments made are illegal, they shall be removed from service after a required show-cause notice on submission of the proposed report before this court,” the apex court ordered.

The secretary establishment division was also directed to proceed against police officers who were members of the selection board for illegal appointments, and the chief secretary Sindh or any other competent authority shall proceed against the provincial police chief who was the member of the selection board.