New appointment: Sardar Dasti posted as AIG

He was waiting for the posting since he left his charge as capital city police officer, Balochistan

KARACHI: The Sindh government appointed on Wednesday Sardar Abdul Majeed Dasti, an officer of the Police Service of Pakistan awaiting posting, as the Additional Inspector-General (AIG) of police, research, development, inspections and enquiries, Karachi, relieving acting Sindh IG Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar of the additional charge.

Dasti, a BS-21 officer, has been posted with immediate effect and until further orders as AIG of police, research, development, inspections and enquires, Karachi, said a notification issued by the Sindh government.

AIG Dasti was waiting for the posting since he left his charge as capital city police officer, Balochistan. Earlier, he has served posts in Sindh including DIG of Police Headquarters, Karachi and chief of all the districts in the city.  Since the reports circulated in the media about the 'forced removal' of Sindh IG Allah Dino Khawaja, Dasti's name was being considered for the new IG, as he is a reputed police officer who has good ties with the Pakistan Peoples Party, as well as support of the federal interior ministry.

A source in the Sindh police told The Express Tribune that the development puts to rest speculations regarding a new Sindh IG, as the most favoured candidate, Dasti, has been promoted as AIG.

Anti-corruption department chairperson Ghulam Qadir Thebo has been directed to rejoin the office after vacations and AIG Mahar has already been given an additional charge of acting Sindh IG. One the other hand, it is unlikely that traffic AIG Khadim Hussain Bhatti will take the post due to a Federal Investigation Agency case against him. This, along with the Sindh High Court, judgment to stay the removal of IG Khawaja makes it unlikely that the government will bring in a new IG.

There are a total of eight positions for grade-21 officers in the Sindh police department, out of which four key posts, including the post of AIG, Sindh, are lying vacant.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2016.