Sindh government requests immediate transfer of police chief

Opposition leaders say govt made decision because Imam refused to become its 'slave'

KARACHI: A day after the Sindh cabinet decided to transfer Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Kaleem Imam, the provincial government wrote a letter to the Establishment Division in Islamabad, requesting the immediate surrender of the Sindh police chief's services.

"The provincial cabinet is unanimously of the view that the Sindh IGP has lost the confidence of the provincial government due to his inability to lead the Sindh police, observe federal and provincial laws, control crimes and improve the general law and order situation in the province. Therefore, he may be recalled immediately," said the letter, issued by the Sindh services secretary.

In the letter, the secretary said that the posting of the new police chief would be done through mutual consultation between the Centre and the provincial government, as laid down in Sindh Repeal of the Police Act, 1961, and Revival Police Order, 2002, Amendment Act, 2019.

"Till the time the new IGP is posted, the Government of Sindh will assign look-after charge of the post to an Additional IGP of Grade-21 currently working in the province," the letter added.

On behalf of the Sindh government, the services secretary referred to the cabinet's decision and allegations levelled by its ministers against Imam, stating that the police chief had failed to control incidents of crimes such as kidnapping, extortion, mobile phone snatching and vehicle theft during his tenure.

"The law and order situation, which had improved significantly earlier, has deteriorated during the last year," the letter went on to say, adding that the IGP had not only defied the lawful directives of the provincial government, but had also violated its rules. "Communicating and engaging directly with foreign missions, indulging in unnecessary media talks against the provincial government and not complying with the decisions of the Sindh Public Safety Commission were among other things that were against the rules," it explained.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah discussed the matter with Prime Minister Imran Khan via telephone. Sources said that the leaders agreed that the federal government will propose three names for the new IGP, of which the Sindh government will have to select one. The telephonic contact, initiated by Khan, was the second conversation he has had with the CM on this issue in the last five days.

Countering the decision

Soon after the letter was dispatched to Islamabad, Imam called on Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah. Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that during the meeting, the police chief refuted the allegations against him and maintained that he was working under the law.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf continued to challenge the Sindh government's decision to transfer the IGP.

Addressing a joint press conference with PTI opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi, the party's parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Shaikh, said that the provincial government and its ministers were defaming the IGP and the police.

"Three days ago, the Sindh CM was claiming that Karachi was a safe city. Now, he and his cabinet members have taken a U-turn, blaming the police chief for the deteriorating law and order," said Shaikh.

He added that former Sindh IGP AD Khawaja had been removed, seemingly because he was an honest and competent officer. "The same thing is now happening with Imam, who has refused to become the slave of the Sindh government."

Presenting statistics, MQM-P's Kunwar Naveed Jameel and Khawaja Izharul Hassan said that Karachi's crime rate had drastically dropped during the incumbent IGP's tenure. "The Sindh government is punishing Imam for not obeying its illegal orders," asserted Jameel. "The Pakistan Peoples Party leadership wants the IGP to behave as if he is their peasant or servant. On his refusal, they have taken action."

On the other hand, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab revealed that the CM had taken PM Khan into confidence about the transfer prior to the cabinet decision. "He also informed the PM about the compelling reasons for transferring the IGP," he said, going on to say that Imam himself had once asked the CM to transfer him if the provincial government was not satisfied with his performance.

Wahab added that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government had transferred four IGPs within a short span of time, but nobody spoke up against its actions.

Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has flown to Islamabad to brief PM Khan about the situation and obtain his advice.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2020.