In uniform: Sacked policemen demand reinstatement of service

Opposition leaders back fired cops, demand their permanent appointment

MUZAFFARABAD: The recently sacked 104 policemen of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) staged a protest demonstration on Thursday while donning their service uniforms, demanding that the government reinstate their services.

The redundant policemen assembled in front of the press club in Muzaffarabad and chanted vociferously against their sacking.

Carrying placards inscribed with the slogans such as “We need justice and bread for our families”, “Our children have no school fees and uniform”, “Reinstate us and don’t snatch our bread”.

“We are protesting for our rights,” said Raja Imran, one of the protesting officers adding that they had been serving for the past nine years in the police department with commitment and dedication, and that they had been heavily trained.

“We demand to be reappointed on the pattern of Protection Unit of Punjab police to guard the mega projects and other installations in the region,” Imran said.

“Why does the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) want to snatch our bread and butter from us. “

Imran added that if the government wanted to promote austerity in the region, then they should sack the surplus Grade-19 secretaries.

“In AJK, they have more than 15 secretaries to monitor ten deputy commissioners while the area is not bigger than Mansehra district, where a simple DCO is heading the entire administration,” said the embittered sacked cop.

Meanwhile, AJK police categorically refused to reinstate the officers contending that all the sacked policemen were appointed on contracts, which had been terminated by the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (ERRA).

Condemning the act of the government of AJK for firing the 104 policemen, Opposition leader in Legislative Assembly, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, said that the people of AJK had not given a heavy mandate to the PML-N to snatch jobs of the poor cops.

“We will continue to support the sacked policemen and their permanent appointment would be productive for the whole AJK police department,” Yasin added.

The 104 cops who had been guarding different reconstructions projects in earthquake-hit areas of AJK since 2007 were fired by the government without any prior notice. They had been deputed in three earthquake-hit areas of the valley including Muzaffarabad City Development Project (MCDP), Bagh City Development Project (BCDP) and the Rawalakot City Development Project (RCDP). Some had also served near sensitive installations.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2016.