Sent packing: 8 cops suspended as new IG puts his foot down on laziness

A special team is overseeing all officials, more suspensions and transfers to follow.

KARACHI:

The newly appointed Sindh police Inspector General (IG), Wajid Ali Durrani, has suspended four DSPs and four SHOs for not obeying orders and taking action against criminals.

The DSPs suspended were from Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Sharae Faisal, Quaidabad and Gulbahar while the SHOs were of Shah Faisal, Quaidabad, Gulbahar and Gulistan-e-Jauhar. “I said it right from the start,” the IG told The Express Tribune. “We don’t need people who don’t deliver and don’t bother leaving their offices and they will be sent home. These officers did not do their jobs and were sent home.”

On Saturday, Durrani transferred and posted nine SPs, one DSP and one DIG.

Shah Jahan has been posted to SP Site Town, Mian Jamshed as SP Court Police, Ejaz Hashmi as SP Security II, Shahid Hussain as SP Political Special Branch Zone South, Javaid Enayat Mughal as SP Political Special Branch Zone East, Ali Raza as SP Traffic I, Mohib Ali as SP Traffic II, Nasim Arain as SP Traffic IV, Tanveer Alam Odho as SP Traffic, Mir Ahmed Hussain as ADIG Special Branch and Agha Jamil as DSP Airport.

Durrani said that he has put together a team led by AIG Operations Naeem Sheikh to keep an eye on the performance of the police. All officials of all ranks across the province are under the microscope and decisions about transfers and suspensions are being taken according to the team’s report.

“The public is suffering from muggings and other crimes in the city, so we have asked all police officials to raid their jurisdictions daily to arrest suspects,” said the IG. “However, those who did not obey and kept sitting around in their offices are being suspended. Those who are doing their jobs efficiently, or are at least trying, are being acknowledged.” Police officials were also asked to keep a strict eye on the open display of weapons. Even private security guards have been asked not to walk around with their weapons in public

The IG took an indirect dig at the former IG’s methods. When asked whether the inept officers were posted by Fayyaz Leghari, he replied, “Do you really mean to tell me that the police was working perfectly before I was appointed? Wherever we feel that an officer has not been posted in the right place and should be somewhere else, we transfer him to a place where he can work more effectively.”

Durrani refuted any allegations of favouritism, saying that there are over 125,000 policemen in the province and there is no “Apna aur paraya [mine and yours]”. He said everything was based on merit. He also denied being under any political pressure and said that his focus is on eliminating crime. He said that the team is busy inspecting officers and more suspensions and transfers are expected.

“People are being robbed and killed right before policemen’s eyes and they are doing nothing. Should such officers be allowed to continue?”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2011.