IG to introduce fixed tenure for police officials

This will eliminate corruption in transfers, postings and boost morale, says AD Khawaja

KARACHI: Sindh Inspector-General of Police Allah Dino Khawaja has been busy since being reinstated by the Sindh High Court on September 7. He has been using his recently granted autonomy to make changes in the police force.

The newest change is that a fixed tenure will be set for officers in the police department in a bid to eliminate corruption in transfers and postings. Station House Officers (SHOs) are likely to have a tenure of one-and-a-half years. This move will ensure stability and block SHOs from being transferred or removed prematurely without a compelling reason.

“While transferring any SHO, compelling reasons shall be recorded in writing and, in case of misconduct, departmental proceedings shall immediately be initiated against him or her. The SHOs removed due to compelling reasons shall not be reposted without written permission of the next higher authority,” reads the notification issued by Headquarters DIG Munir Ahmed Shaikh on behalf of the police chief. “Any premature transfer and posting of SHOs and reasons thereof shall be communicated to the range office,” it adds.



“These orders have been issued by me. This will save the police from external influence and give confidence to hardworking officials. After formulating rules, we will submit it to government,” the IG told The Express Tribune.

Police stations in the city have been likened to a game of musical chairs, with SHOs being appointed for as little as a month before their inevitable transfers. “When I know that I will not be able to continue the job for more than a month despite paying at least Rs1 million [in bribes to obtain it] why would I work hard instead of just earning money?” asked a senior SHO of the Karachi range. “It’s very simple. The more you give, the more you earn,” he told The Express Tribune.

It has been learnt that SHOs are appointed on the basis of recommendations; these may come in the form of a political ‘safarish [influence]’ or through the payment of a hefty sum, depending on the scale of income the police station offers. For most police stations in the city, the minimum going rate is Rs500,000. This may vary depending on the area covered by the police station and may go as high as Rs2 million in some cases.

“The average period of appointment of an SHO in my experience is one month in Karachi,” said former IG Mushtaq Shah. “There are multiple reasons for this; mainly political influence and the bribery system.” Shah said that IG Khawaja is taking good steps and will definitely improve police performance.



“What do you expect from an officer [SHO] appointed on the basis of bribes? He will definitely focus on the recovery of the hefty amount he paid for the post instead of controlling crime and improving his police station,” Shah explained. “But there will be better results after formulating the rules and fixing the tenure [of SHOs].”

IG Khawaja has already constituted a special police team comprising senior police officials to formulate the rules ahead of the transfer and postings of police officials following the court’s directives. A seven-member team has to submit a report to the IG next week. “Yes, we have almost prepared the draft and will submit it to the IG within the 10-day deadline,” confirmed one of the members of the team. “We are formulating the rules for each post, from top to the bottom. And each post will have its own tenure, like one-and-a-half years for SHOs.” He said that the IG will then present the draft before the Sindh Cabinet and, after getting approval, the report will be presented in court.

In Sindh, particularly in Karachi, there are no rules for the appointment of SHOs. The district police SSP suggests three names to the zonal DIG and then the zonal DIG recommends two names to the Additional IG of Karachi. Finally, the Additional IG selects one officer for the SHO’s post. In rare cases the Karachi AIG appoints SHOs.

“Unfortunately, there is no rule for transfers and postings and the police officers, particularly SHOs, are being transferred and posted on the basis internal arrangements,” explained the official.