The Sindh police chief has once again failed to remove undergraduate Station House Officers (SHOs) from their posts, despite repeated court orders. After ignoring two earlier orders, the IG Sindh Police issued yet another notification on Sept 9, but the situation on the ground remains largely unchanged.
According to the fresh notification, specialised training workshops have been made mandatory for appointment as SHOs and DSPs. The directive, which takes immediate effect in all police ranges of the province, has created unease among serving officers, particularly those nearing retirement in the next one to two years.
Police officers say that even after clearing departmental exams and interviews, it remains "nearly impossible" to be posted as SHO without political or personal connections. Many police stations in the province continue to be headed by undergraduate officers, in defiance of the IG's order. Senior officers point out that in earlier decades, constables were recruited with only middle school education and ASIs with intermediate qualifications. Many of these "ranker officers" gradually rose through the service to become sub-inspectors, inspectors, and even DSPs. Now in the twilight of their careers, some of them continue to serve as SHOs in their home districts - despite a standing order issued on October 15, 2024 prohibiting such postings under the Police Rules 1934.
"Serving in this department has become increasingly difficult," one officer said while speaking to The Express Tribune. "Whenever an incident occurs, blame is shifted onto the SHO to shield senior officers. Has an SSP or DIG ever been held accountable?"
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