Transfers and postings: Wassan, Saud fight over SHOs
Police chief rankled by bribery allegations over short term posting of SHOs.
KARACHI:
A controversy over the placement of officers who control police stations in Karachi has taken an ugly turn amidst reports, circulating in the police department, that the city police chief has requested he be transferred.
The discussion of the transfers and postings of the Station House Officers (SHOs) degenerated into a quarrel between Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan and Additional IG Karachi Saud Mirza at a high-level meeting held here late into Friday night.
Insiders say that Wassan, while chairing the meeting, referred to the frequent transfers and postings of the SHOs and asked Mirza to appoint them for a longer period. He also wanted an explanation on why the postings were short term.
Mirza is reported to have reacted when Wassan said that the SHOs were being appointed for bribes and this should be stopped. Mirza reacted quickly by saying that he was responsible for the law and order in the city and knew very well how to do his duty.
“It is for me to decide how long and where the SHO should be posted,” Mirza quoted as saying. He also took exception to the minister’s remarks and said, “Even my own enemies cannot accuse me of financial corruption.” However, IGP Wajid Ali Durrani and other officials immediately stepped in to calm the tempers.
When contacted, Mirza declined any comment on the incident.
Word of the ‘fight’ got around pretty soon and police officials started worrying. Saud Mirza enjoys a good reputation in the department and is respected for his upright character.
Officers suspected that this could have been another attempt to deter the city police chief from appointing SHOs on merit thorough examinations and interviews. They claimed that this smacked of political interference in the working of the department, which could attract the ire of the Supreme Court, particularly after its recent judgment on Karachi’s law and order.
There are about 112 police stations, including police posts, in the city and about 130 SHOs have been transferred and posted in the last three months. A majority of them were moved on the government’s order. Most of the transfers and postings took place in district East, followed by the West and the South.
Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Ferozabad, Surjani, Gadap, Preedy, Sir Syed, Manghopir, Steel Town, Shah Latif, Frere, Kalakot, Airport, Docks, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Memon Goth, Shara-e-Faisal and Sohrab Goth are known police stations for prized postings.
A press release issued by the Sindh Information Department said that the home minister had directed the police superiors to make decisions on merit and based on administrative needs. He directed the law enforcers to ensure full implementation of the Supreme Court’s orders as well. While appreciating the law enforcement agencies’ performance in ongoing operations and raids, Wassan directed the police and Rangers to continue taking action against criminals.
Indeed, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik has announced the prestigious Sitara-e-Shuja’at for the IGP and additional IGP for playing a vital role in maintaining law and order in Karachi.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2011.
A controversy over the placement of officers who control police stations in Karachi has taken an ugly turn amidst reports, circulating in the police department, that the city police chief has requested he be transferred.
The discussion of the transfers and postings of the Station House Officers (SHOs) degenerated into a quarrel between Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan and Additional IG Karachi Saud Mirza at a high-level meeting held here late into Friday night.
Insiders say that Wassan, while chairing the meeting, referred to the frequent transfers and postings of the SHOs and asked Mirza to appoint them for a longer period. He also wanted an explanation on why the postings were short term.
Mirza is reported to have reacted when Wassan said that the SHOs were being appointed for bribes and this should be stopped. Mirza reacted quickly by saying that he was responsible for the law and order in the city and knew very well how to do his duty.
“It is for me to decide how long and where the SHO should be posted,” Mirza quoted as saying. He also took exception to the minister’s remarks and said, “Even my own enemies cannot accuse me of financial corruption.” However, IGP Wajid Ali Durrani and other officials immediately stepped in to calm the tempers.
When contacted, Mirza declined any comment on the incident.
Word of the ‘fight’ got around pretty soon and police officials started worrying. Saud Mirza enjoys a good reputation in the department and is respected for his upright character.
Officers suspected that this could have been another attempt to deter the city police chief from appointing SHOs on merit thorough examinations and interviews. They claimed that this smacked of political interference in the working of the department, which could attract the ire of the Supreme Court, particularly after its recent judgment on Karachi’s law and order.
There are about 112 police stations, including police posts, in the city and about 130 SHOs have been transferred and posted in the last three months. A majority of them were moved on the government’s order. Most of the transfers and postings took place in district East, followed by the West and the South.
Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Ferozabad, Surjani, Gadap, Preedy, Sir Syed, Manghopir, Steel Town, Shah Latif, Frere, Kalakot, Airport, Docks, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Memon Goth, Shara-e-Faisal and Sohrab Goth are known police stations for prized postings.
A press release issued by the Sindh Information Department said that the home minister had directed the police superiors to make decisions on merit and based on administrative needs. He directed the law enforcers to ensure full implementation of the Supreme Court’s orders as well. While appreciating the law enforcement agencies’ performance in ongoing operations and raids, Wassan directed the police and Rangers to continue taking action against criminals.
Indeed, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik has announced the prestigious Sitara-e-Shuja’at for the IGP and additional IGP for playing a vital role in maintaining law and order in Karachi.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2011.