Panic among the ranks: Rifts surface within police as IGP cancels promotions

Decision rescinded on court order after those who weren’t promoted filed a petition.

KARACHI:

More than 1,300 policemen across Sindh have been demoted to their previous ranks after the inspector general withdrew their promotion on court orders.

The demoted personnel have warned the authorities of legal action if their promotions aren’t restored, The Express Tribune learnt on Sunday.

Sources informed The Express Tribune that policemen ranging from police constables to inspectors were promoted to the next rank under Article 236/2010, along with a few deputy superintendents of police (DSPs). The promotions were on the basis of ‘own pay scale’. This means that the person moves on to the next rank, and has the authority and the badges of that rank. However, they maintain the salary and allowances of the old rank.

The standing promotion orders were issued in the tenure of the former IGP, Sultan Salahuddin Babar Khattak. The current IGP, Fayyaz Leghari, cancelled the orders on the directives of a court.

Sources say that a group of senior policemen had reservations over the promotions of these policemen in their own pay scale, and went to the Supreme Court, claiming that the promotions were illegal.

“It was wrong,” said one of the officials who filed the petition. “We deserved it but it was given to others.” He claimed that scores of policemen with more experience should have been promoted but were ignored instead by the authorities.

“For how long will we be treated with such injustice?” he asked. “What crime did we commit? Are we being punished because we don’t enjoy the patronage of someone influential who can get us promoted with one phone call?” He nadded that although they didn’t want to take any action against their department, they had been forced to go to court. “It seems as if they want us to have an inferiority complex,” he explained. “Everyone has the right to get what they deserve, and we will get what is rightfully ours.”

A senior police official at the Central Police Office told The Express Tribune that some policemen, who think they are more deserving of promotions on the basis of their ‘perceived’ seniority, were unhappy with their promotions. The promotions have been cancelled while all the regional and zonal officers have already been asked to maintain lists of all those who are seeking promotions on the basis of seniority, he said.

“Nearly one thousand policemen have already been promoted on the basis of seniority, and we are reviewing other cases,” Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Karachi, Saud Mirza, told The Express Tribune.

Of those whose promotions have been withdrawn, almost 500 are from Karachi, while the majority of the promotions were of police constables who had become head constables.

The promotions were reportedly made on the basis of education, seniority and ‘source’. After the orders were rescinded, scores of Station House Officers (SHO) have been relieved of their duties. The department has yet to appoint new officers as replacements to take charge of those police stations. The decision has also affected a score of officers who were on a three-month training course, and were scheduled to take charge with their new ranks.

The cancellation of the promotion orders has created panic among the ranks of police personnel and divisions. “There is no doubt that many policemen were promoted because of the ‘parchi’ [source] of ministers,” said one officer whose promotion was cancelled. “But this decision impacts everyone.”

He said that an inquiry committee should have been formed before rescinding the orders. “The inquiry committee could have found out about unjustly made promotions and cancelled them, while letting deserving cases go ahead.”

Another policeman, who was promoted to the rank of sub-inspector, said that they were seeking salaries according to their rank. “Instead of giving us a raise, they have demoted us,” he said. “We earned our promotion. No one made a phone call to get us promoted. Why should we be punished because of others?”

He said that the demoted police personnel would also submit a petition against the cancellation orders. “As soon as we draft a joint application, we will approach the court,” he disclosed. “If that doesn’t yield results, we will just sit at home out of protest.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2011.