Seniority list of DSPs raises eyebrows

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has released a seniority list featuring 500 police officers promoted to the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP). The notification, issued with the approval of Additional Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Memon, has sparked unease within the provincial police force and triggered scrutiny over alleged irregularities related to age eligibility, appointment dates, and alleged out-of-turn promotions.

A review of the list reveals inconsistencies. Several officers appear to have been under the legal minimum age of 18 at the time of their recruitment — contrary to established government employment rules.

For instance, Muhammad Arshad Afridi's official records indicate a date of birth of November 11, 1973, and a recruitment date of September 14, 1991, making him 17 years and 10 months old at the time of appointment.

Similarly, Rana Nasrullah, born on March 2, 1970, reportedly joined the police force on June 11, 1988, at the age of just 18 years and 3 months. His swift appointment - only a few months after becoming eligible for a national identity card - has raised concerns about procedural irregularities.

The Sindh government's guidelines stipulate that candidates must be between 28 and 32 years old for direct recruitment as DSPs. However, the seniority list includes several officers who were appointed at an age beyond this range, under what has been described as "special circumstances," a justification that has not been clearly explained.

The list also includes 10 female officers, reportedly recruited between 1993 and 1994. Among them are Zille Huma, Zeena Chandio, Sultana Mehdi, Afroza Chauhan, Najam-un-Nisa, Zaib-un-Nisa, Uzma Hafeez, Zain Manzoor, Saeeda Begum, and Zakia Malik.

Interestingly, no officers - male or female - recruited in the year 1992 are featured in the list, while select female officers recruited in adjacent years were included, raising questions over the selection criteria and possible favouritism.

These developments have revived concerns over the violation of the Supreme Court's 2016 directive, which imposed a strict ban on out-of-turn and "shoulder" promotions.

At the time, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali stressed that such practices compromise the rights of eligible officers, while Justice Amir Hani Muslim deemed them discriminatory and unconstitutional.