Conspiracy being hatched against me: Sindh IGP Dr Kaleem Imam

'I will not go so easily,' says Sindh's top cop

KARACHI:

The province's top police official claimed on Tuesday that a conspiracy was being hatched again him and asserted that he would not be transferred so easily.

Addressing an event in Karachi, Sindh Inspector General of Police Dr Kaleem Imam said: "This event has turned into my farewell".

Dismissing reports of his transfer, Sindh's top cop said, "I am not going anywhere nor am I being transferred. I will not leave so easily".

Reflecting on his journey as the provincial police chief, Imam added that there were days when he thought it "would be his last day" and further said his value as an officer would "not decrease with a mere transfer".

Addressing the officials, Imam warned they would come across many difficulties but they should continue working as per rules and regulations. “Do not worry,” he said. “All our officers are highly talented.”

The statement comes a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan threw his weight behind the Sindh government - which wants Imam gone.

In Islamabad

Meanwhile, the coalition partners of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf  (PTI) expressed reservations on the names proposed for the post of Sindh IGP.

The development came during the weekly meeting of the federal cabinet. The members recommended that the governor and chief minister deliberate on the names proposed by PPP government, adding that a new name would also be welcome.

The IGP fiasco

After days of controversy over the appointment of the Sindh IGP, the Centre and Pakistan Peoples Party-led government agreed to transfer Imam and appoint another police chief to replace him.

The decision was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the Governor House in Karachi on Monday.

During the meeting, which was also attended by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, it was also agreed to appoint the new police chief from the panel of five names sent by the Sindh government to the Establishment Division last week.

The list of senior police officials being considered for the coveted post includes Kamran Fazal, Mushtaq Mahar, Inam Ghani, Ghulam Qadir Thebo and Sanaullah Abbasi.

PTI, PPP at loggerheads over move to remove Sindh police chief

In a letter addressed to the federal government, the Sindh services secretary stated that the provincial cabinet unanimously agreed that Imam has lost "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."

With that, the Pakistan Peoples Party government said it wanted Imam to be "recalled immediately”.

The secretary added 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 the Sindh Repeal of the Police Act, 1961, and Revival Police Order, 2002, Amendment Act, 2019.

The Sindh government wr0te to the establishment secretary seeking to assign a look-after charge of the post of the IGP to an additional IGP (grade BS-21) currently working in the province.

The federal government, however, in its January 17 letter underscored that “the look-after charge of the post of IGP Sindh cannot be assigned to any additional IGP of police working in the province being not covered under the inter-provincial agreement of 1993”.

The Sindh government’s request to replace Imam had been met with an outcry from the opposition leaders, belonging to the PTI and the MQM-Pakistan, who claimed that provincial ministers were defaming Imam and the police department.