Sindh government to reduce IG's three-year tenure

Three member committee formed to amend Civil Servants Act

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to amend the law to shorten the tenure of the provincial police chief. Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that the government is going to amend Section 4 of Civil Servants Act, 1973 to reduce the three year tenure of the IG in the wake of the ongoing tussle with Sindh IG Allah Dino Khawaja.

"The IG's case is in the court now where the judge can give Khawaja the benefit of a three year tenure fixed in the rules of business of the Establishment Code, 1986," said a former Sindh IG who wished to remain anonymous. To preempt such a development, the government is going to amend the law.

The tussle between the IG Khawaja and the Sindh government surfaced when the government had sent IG Khawaja on forced leave following differences that erupted over multiple issues, particularly over the transfer and postings of SSPs and SPs. However, the government later withdrew its decision and the IG took control of his office once more after the court intervened.



IG Khawaja has already been approached to surrender his services but the decision has remained pending. The situation turned critical when a senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader, Sohail Anwar Siyal, resumed the charge of his office as home minister. Since tussle begun, the government has attempted to remove the IG on a number of occasions but this is the final attempt, as after this, the IGP will have no special powers, which will compel him to surrender his services.

The Sindh government has already decided to appoint a senior police official, Sardar Abdul Majeed Dasti, as IG Khawaja's replacement.

Sources believe that this is part of an ongoing agenda to remove the IG. A three member committee has also been formed to amend the law. Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar will head the team, while Home Minister Siyal and Advocate-General Zameer Ghumro are members of the team.

"We are not doing it as per our own wishes; it is the Supreme Court's decision," said Ghumro. "The Supreme Court has ordered that the IG's tenure should not be in the rule of business of the Establishment Code, 1986, rather it should be in the Civil Servants Act, which is why we are amending it." Ghumro said that the government is going to make an amendment in Section 4 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973. "It will be decided what amendments we have to make, but we will surely fix the tenure in the amendment," he explained.



Recently, the Sindh government withdrew the powers of the IG to transfer and post SPs and SSPs.