Cabinet approves police cadre rules
After a long-drawn row with the federal government over the rotation policy, the Sindh government has decided to create its own police cadre for the appointments, transfer and postings of senior police officers in the province and setting their seniority.
The decision to approve the rules for the creation of a police cadre came at the cabinet meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday. Sindh is the first province to draft rules for its own police cadre.
After the creation of provincial police cader, the services of all police officers, appointed by the provincial government, who are promoted to Grade 18, will be managed by the provincial authorities.
"This policy will not apply to officials of Police Services of Pakistan (PAS), whose services are dealt by the Establishment Division, Islamabad," an official privy to the development told The Express Tribune.
"In current scenario, the postings of all senior police officials from SSPs to IGs rely on the orders of federal government; therefore it creates shortage of officers," he said.
The source said that people holding the reins in the Centre even don't bother to listen to the provincial government. With this decision, all the provincial officers matters will be seen here in Sindh," the sources said, adding that the Sindh government also tends to appoint own officers in grade 17 through Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC).
The selection board comprising chief minister, chief secretary, secretary services and secretary home department will decide about the promotions of senior police officials
"Currently, we can only appoint assistant sub-inspectors and inspectors. The procivial govement has devised a plan to directly appoint SPs in future, so the recruitment rules approved today were necessary for the process," a senior police official told The Express Tribune.
The meeting attended by ministers and advisors discussed on 26 agendas, but police cadre issue dominated it. During the meeting, the home department giving a presentation said that it has drafted recruitment rules for the posts of senior ranks (from superintendent of police BS-18 to Additional IGP BS-21) in Sindh police.
The appointment against the posts of senior ranks below the rank of Inspector General of Police shall be made in accordance with the respective recruitment rules made under the Sindh Civil Servants Act, 1973.
About the postings of additional IGPs who work in grade 21, the meeting was informed that these officers will be promoted from the ranks of DIGs of grade 20 having minimum 22-year service in BS-17 with three years in BS-20 purely on seniority-cum-fitness basis.
About DIGs, the policy said that Senior Superintendents of Police / AIGP (BS-19) having minimum 17-year service in BS-17 and above, including three years in BS-19 will be promoted to this DIG level. However the Superintendents of Police (BS-18) having minimum 12-year service in grade BS-17 and above, including three years in BS-18 will be given the positions of SSPs, SP and ADIGP (BS-18).
Simailary, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (BS-17) having at least five -year service as such will be given job as SPs.
The cabinet was told that the Constitution and the PSP Rules 1985 did not bar the provincial government from making the subject recruitment rules nor do they suggest any concurrence from the Federal government.
"The matter of policing or police service is not included in the federal legislative list. The legislative competence of `police' has been declared as `exclusive Provincial domain' by the High Court of Sindh, so we nothing prohibit us from making such decision," CM while addressing to cabinet members said.
The cabinet after thorough discussion decided to constitute a committee under Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh and it members include Industries Minister Ikramullah Dharejo, Advisor law Murtaza Wahab, Advocate General, Chief Secretary, ACS Home to examine the proposed rules and consider the constitutional provisions and present their report within a month.
The provincial cabinet also discussed and approved Search Committee Act, 2021 for the appointment of vice chancellors and other officers of the universities in public sector in Sindh.
The committee would be constituted by Sindh chief minister comprising chairman Sindh Higher Education Commissioner, Secretary U&B, Secretary College Education, two other members from relevant category of university to be nominated by the government from a panel of five persons sent by chairman. The cabinet approved the bill and referred it to the assembly.
Incentives for EVs:
The Excise andTaxation Department told the meeting that during the next five years 100,000 electric vehicles, 500,000 two to three wheelers, 1,000 buses and 1,000 trucks would start plying in the country due to high petroleum price. Low maintenance cost is another attraction for EVs. In order to promote the use of environment-friendly and energy efficient vehicles, the E&T department suggested that annual motor vehicle tax may be reduced to Rs500 for EV only.
Luxury Tax on Electric Vehicles may be reduced to Rs5000/- for 2000cc and above (or equivalent KW) vehicles only. The department suggested charging Rs500 as lifetime motor vehicle tax for electric motorcycles and Rs1,000 penalty for late registration.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2021.