Police vs politicians: In this power struggle, the only losers are citizens

Several incidents over the last couple of weeks have laid bare the tug of war between Sindh govt, Sindh Police dept

KARACHI: As the Sindh Police chief and the provincial government continue to lock horns over the issue of police autonomy and the Inspector-General’s powers, several senior officers have been caught in the fray.

The differences, which have been simmering for the past several months, have bubbled over to boiling point in the last couple of weeks with both camps coming out with all guns blazing. While Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Kaleem Imam has repeatedly voiced reservations over what he terms as ‘political interference’ in his department’s affairs by the political leadership, the latter says the police must be held accountable for their actions by public representatives.

Much has happened behind the scenes in the wake of Dr Imam’s appointment as the IGP. Some of it has been reported in certain sections of the media. Most have been kept under the radar as both sides quietly maneuver for more room and authority.

The turning point

While the differences were always present, the issue came to the fore when a letter written by IGP Dr Imam to Sindh chief secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah was leaked to the media. In his letter, the IGP took exception to the Sindh government’s decision to surrender the services of police officials DIG Khadim Hussain Rind and SSP Dr Rizwan Ahmed to the federal government. The two officers are Grade 20 and 19 officials, respectively.

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According to Dr Imam, the transfers took him by surprise, and not only had they affected the policing process, they had also impacted the department’s morale. He said it was ironic that despite being the IG, he found out about the transfers through the media, and further noted the orders issued by the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding his authority to make transfers and appointments.

The letter and its reporting in the media seemed to have touched a nerve among the political leadership, with the Sindh Information Minister, Saeed Ghani, quick to lambast the IGP for his ‘inconsistent’ approach.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, the information minister said that he had considered the IGP a “level-headed person” until he wrote the letter against the high-profile transfers. “I now consider him irresponsible and [an official having an] inconsistent approach,” the minister said.

Ghani also clarified that the Sindh IGP is only authorised to order transfers within Sindh and it is at the provincial government’s discretion to make decisions regarding inter-provincial transfers. The IGP, in no capacity, can request the federal government to consider his choice when finalising transfers, he said, terming this approach “irresponsible and inconsistent.”

Resolution against IGP

On December 6, the provincial Public Safety and Police Commission passed a resolution against the IGP, expressing displeasure over his second consecutive absence from the commission’s meetings.

The resolution, which was put forward by commission member Karamat Ali, was passed unanimously.

During the meeting, the CM said that the IGP had informed him of an urgent meeting convened by the prime minister for which the IGP had flown to Islamabad. However, another member disclosed that the meeting had been scheduled well in advance.

At the time, the commission had also expressed surprise that the federal government was inviting the IGP without informing the chief minister.

Politic-tock

The very next day, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other opposition parties jumped into the fray. Addressing a press conference, PTI’s Sindh president Haleem Adil Sheikh accused provincial ministers and advisers for ‘spreading disinformation’ about the issue.

Sheikh condemned the Sindh government for the sudden transfers, adding that it appeared that the Murad Ali Shah-led set-up was afraid of “brave” police officers.

Officers voice concern

Meanwhile, the two officers, DIG Khadim Rind and SSP Dr Rizwan Ahmed, have approached the provincial Public Safety and Police Comp­laints Commission against what they called their abrupt transfers, Dawn reported on Monday.

In his letter, Dr Rizwan pointed out that soon after assuming the charge of Shikarpur SSP, he faced “serious problems from influentials of Shikarpur who are patronising dacoits, criminals and corrupt police officers and wanted to use the police for their own personal and political motives”.

Dr Rizwan further said that he had taken several measures to combat these issues, due to which the influence of feudals and politicians was reduced from the police department.

The SSP also pointed to his involvement in the joint investigation team and his appointment as the investigating officer (IO) in the Naqeeb Ullah Mehsud murder case, which is pending before an anti-terrorism court, where he is representing the state.

In a separate letter, DIG Rind has also raised similar concerns over his transfer, saying his services were surrendered to the Establishment Division on November 5, without mention of any reason or fault on his part.

Both officers have also pointed out that their transfer orders were issued without taking the Sindh Police chief into confidence.

SHC stays transfer orders

On Monday, the Sindh High Court (SHC) cancelled the transfer notifications of DIG Rind and SSP Dr Rizwan and sought a reply from the Sindh government by 24 December.

An SHC bench was hearing the pleas filed by DIG Rind and SSP Dr Rizwan against their transfer and cancelled their transfer notification. The bench observed that apparently, the IGP has expressed concern over these transfers.

Barrister Faisal Siddiqui, who was representing SSP Rizwan, submitted that SSP Rizwan’s transfer was in violation of the court’s earlier orders.

He informed the court that recently, 80 police officers were transferred from different areas. He said the Sindh government had also violated its laws, adding that the authority to transfer an SSP lies with the IGP.

The counsel further explained that the IGP must be consulted with regard to the transfer of a DIG, adding that in DIG Rind’s case, the transfer order was issued without informing the IGP.

Ghani speaks again

Meanwhile, Information Minister Ghani reiterated the Sindh government’s stance on Monday, claiming that there was no political interference in the matters of Sindh Police. He expressed these views while talking to the media after his visit to the 15th Build Asia 2019 International Exhibition and Conference at the Karachi Expo Centre.

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“The Sindh IGP first wrote the letter to the chief secretary and then leaked it to the media,” claimed Ghani, adding the IGP should resolve the issues properly, instead of making a mockery of the government.

He added that no one talked about the way the Pakpattan District Police Officer was transferred, but whenever a police officer is transferred from Karachi and that too at the behest of the federal government, it becomes an issue.

“The Sindh IGP should execute his responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution, but it seems like he is writing letters on someone’s instructions,” he stated.

The losers

While the police department and public representatives continue their tug of war, those at the lower cadre of the law enforcement agency struggle to keep up their morale. Ultimately, it is the citizens who will suffer as the police divert all their attention to saving their jobs instead of focusing on their responsibility for fighting crime. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2019.