Deputation in Punjab Constabulary makes police staff jittery

Police personnel have requested higher officials to take notice of the issue and address reservations

RAWALPINDI:

Many personnel recruited in the Rawalpindi police in 2014 and 2015 have expressed concerns over the possibility of being sent to Punjab Constabulary on deputation even though they have already spent their deputation period in the Special Protection Unit (SPU).

The police personnel have requested Punjab IG Inam Ghani, Rawalpindi RPO Imran Ahmar and Rawalpindi CPO Ahsan Younis to take notice of the issue and address their reservations.

According to details, the posting of police personnel in the police is subject to the implementation of certain SOPs under which their services are placed at the disposal of either SPU or the Punjab Constabulary for a specified period after recruitment. However, most of the police personnel recruited during 2014 and 2015 have already spent this time in the SPU unit but there are reports that they may be sent on deputation to Punjab Constabulary.

The affected policemen told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity that they have spent two to three years in SPU during which they were stationed in remote places. However, high officials of Rawalpindi police have decided to once again send the same personnel on deputation in Punjab Constabulary and the clerical staff in the offices have been preparing a list of names in this respect.

The affected police personnel claim that they have already completed their mandatory tenure in SPU and that the high-up decision is against established SOPs.

According to SOPs, they said, any deputation of the police personnel would be decided at the start of their tenure. It is mandatory for the new recruits to either join the Punjab Constabulary or SPU. They pointed out that several recruits of 2006, 2007 and 2010 batches had not spent time on deputation. They urged IG Punjab, RPO Rawalpindi and CPO Rawalpindi to resolve the issue. In this regard, when the Express Tribune asked the police spokesman for comments responded that the matter is pending and the high ups had not deputed anyone for now.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2021.