Police to review policy on hometown posting

The Punjab Police department has decided to review the posting of police officials in their home districts.

In September 2017, the then IGP, Arif Nawaz, had introduced the policy according to which the cops of the ranks of ASP, DSP, station house officer (SHO), sub-inspector and assistant sub-inspector were not supposed to be posted in their home sub-divisions.

For the head constables and the constables, they were not supposed to be posted in their home police stations and police posts. Nawaz had further dissected the policy for 36 districts of Punjab.

He had said that except Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan and Faisalabad, ASPs, DSPs and SHOs were not allowed to be posted in their home districts while the SIs and ASIs not be posted in their home sub-divisions.

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In September this year, Inam Ghani as IGP had reiterated the posting policy introduced by Nawaz. While addressing a Darbar in Gujranwala, he had said, "DSPs and SHOs of Punjab Police will not be posted in their native districts in future."

His words had affected the posting of at least 238 SHOs.

Similar to Arif Nawaz, he had also ordered not to appoint SHOs, Inspectors and DSPs in their home districts except Lahore and five other districts in Punjab that enjoyed the status of major cities.

His policy was almost similar to that of Arif Nawaz’s for the policemen of other ranks.

The IGP has described fairness in policing behind the logic of the posting. However, some cops have complained of the positing policy.

To them, it affected their personal family life that also affected their professional working.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2021.