SHO suspended for misbehaving, but not SP

Harsher treatment for police officials of lower ranks draws criticism

LAHORE: Discrimination between PSP officers and lower cadre police officials prevailed when it came to departmental discipline.

There has been little development after a Superintendent of Police (SP) misbehaved with a trainee sub-inspector. However, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore BA Nasir suspended SHO Defence B Ali Ajwad for abusing a moharar.

For the moment, the SP has been ‘closed’ to the Central Police Office after IGP Amjad Javed Saleemi took notice of the matter. The situation will remain the same until an inquiry is completed.

The discriminatory treatment of an SHO and SP over disciplinary issues has once again drawn the ire of lower cadre police officials. A trainee sub-inspector commented on the issue, saying PSPs were ‘untouchable’ while lower cadre officials were ‘scum of the earth’. He said that the treatment was the same when it came to any mishap.



“The PSP officers were even vindicated of Model Town massacre type incidents, let alone misbehaving with a sub-ordinate. Meanwhile, lower cadre officials were brought to ‘justice’, he added.

A statement issued by the Lahore Police spokesperson said Nasir took strict notice of the complaint of an abusing phone chat by SHO Defence B and suspended the official.

The statement read SHO Ali Ajwad, during a phone call, spoke to the moharar of the same police station in an ill-mannered way and even abused him.

The CCPO took notice of the incident and appointed SP Cantt as an inquiry officer. The city police chief warned that humiliating subordinate staff and citizens would not be tolerated.

“The code of conduct will be implemented at all costs. All officers should behave while dealing with subordinate staff or the general public, the ordered. He also warned that in future, any such complaint would be dealt with   stern   departmental   action   and   code   of   conduct would be implemented in letter and spirit.

However, there is yet to be any meaningful action over the allegations that SP Iqbal Town Ali Raza misbehaved with trainee sub-inspector Naveed Abdul Majeed. Two days ago, a trainee sub-inspector alleged that Iqbal Town SP Ali Raza verbally berated him and forced him to consider resigning from his job.

In an official report, Naveed Abdul Majeed had stated that he appeared before the SP to present a case. He shared the details of his case with the senior official who listened to him patiently. However, at the end of the conversation Raza, reportedly went on a tirade and unleashed a torrent of abuse in the presence of the inspector.



Following the outburst, Majeed left the office on the orders of the SP. “For two hours, I sat on a park bench outside the SP’s office to try and pinpoint the reason for being treated in such a manner,” he said. “Later, I realised that it was because I was a trainee sub-inspector and lower in rank. I returned to the office and requested to appear before the SP where I accepted my ‘mistake’.”

Majeed said he requested the SP not to verbally abuse any other individual in such a manner. “I prayed to God to raise his respect and his rank and left the office,” he said.

He claimed that surviving in the police department seemed to be difficult for him and he was inclined to hand in his resignation.

The incident had resulted in an uproar on social media among lower cadre police officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2019.