Committee formed for transfer, posting of senior police officials

IG Khawaja withdraws appointments of 22 officers posted by Sindh govt

KARACHI:

In a bid to resolve controversies and make the process of transfers and postings of senior police officials transparent, Sindh Inspector-General of Police Allah Dino Khawaja has constituted a special police team comprising senior police officials to oversee the process.

The action came two days after the Sindh High Court ruled that the IG and not the Sindh government had the authority and power to order transfers and postings in the police department.

DIG Aftab Pathan will be leading the seven-member team, which comprises four other DIGs - Munir Shaikh, Amir Shaikh, Imran Yaqoob Minhas and Azad Khan – and two SSPs - Naeem Ahmed Shaikh and Javed Akbar Riaz.

The Sindh High Court judgment, besides retaining the IG on the post till the completion of his three-year tenure, also set aside all notifications regarding recent transfers and postings in the department.

The appointments of as many as 22 police officers have been withdrawn by the IG and all those officers transferred and posted by the government of Sindh in the past few months have been reverted back to their earlier positions.

“In pursuance of paragraph 96 and 101 (m) of the judgment of the high court, the following transfer and postings of officers of the Sindh police issued by the services, general administration and coordination department have been quashed,” reads a notification issued by the IG’s office. It stated that the above orders stand withdrawn, therefore all concerned officers shall revert back to the positions they held on July 7, 2017 with immediate effect.

According to a notification issued by the IG’s office on Friday, IG Khawaja has stated that in compliance with the directives contained in paragraph 96 (a) of the judgement of the Sindh High Court, a committee comprising the following officers has been constituted to frame a draft which the IG is to exercise the power of transfers and postings in the police force at all levels, including Police Service of Pakistan officers serving in the province.

The notification stated that the rules must be framed in such a manner as to ensure autonomy of command and independence of operation. The rules must be transparent in form and reality and fair in operation and effect.

"The rules must also, inter alia, set the period or term that is ordinarily to be served at any level/post so as to ensure that the rules laid down by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Anita Turab case shall apply in relation there to,” reads the letter. “The committee shall complete the task by conducting proceedings on a daily basis, including holidays, and shall submit the first draft for the perusal of the IG within 10 days," it added.

The provincial government and IG have been in a tug of war since last year, with one of the main bones of contention between them being the transfer and posting of police officials.

In April, the Sindh government had sent IG Khawaja packing and appointed another grade-21 police officer already working in the province in his place. When Khawaja’s removal was stayed by the high court, the government withdrew his powers to transfer and post senior police officials.

On September 7, the Sindh High Court ruled in favour of the IG and halted the provincial government from surrendering his services to the Centre. The court also seemingly granted autonomy to the provincial police force, granting the IG the power to transfer and post police officers once again.

The Sindh government has vowed to take the matter to the Supreme Court and legislate against the court’s decision.