Police officer challenges transfer to Balochistan citing wedlock policy

A BPS-20 police officer, who recently served as Additional Inspector General of Police Welfare in Karachi, has pleaded to the SHC to cancel his transfer order to Balochistan on the basis of wedlock policy. Advocate Soulat Rizvi, counsel of Additional IG Dr Abbass Rizvi, apprised the court that his client's wife is a lecturer in Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi.

He contended that even the government's Rotation Policy 2020, under the Civil Servants Act, 1973, could not affect the wedlock policy.

According to the lawyer, after Dr Rizvi's promotion on June 24 in BPS-20, the services of the police officer were put on the disposal of the Balochistan government on July 2. He maintained that the official was assured that he would be transferred back to Karachi.

The lawyer explained to the bench that a petition has been filed in the court directly because the Federal Services Tribunal is not functional in Karachi.

Referring to the police service rules, the lawyer said the rules underline that the spouse should be posted at the nearest station if the same district is not possible. Rizvi stated that since no campus of the university existed outside Karachi, the officer's wife can not be transferred. The court's registrar issued notices to the federal govt and secretary establishment division to submit a reply on October 1.