Police promotions: High Court asks which language officers would understand

IGP Rehman told to explain why seniority list hasn’t been issued.

LAHORE:

Inspector General of Punjab Police Habibur Rehman was ordered, on Monday, to appear before the Lahore High Court today (Tuesday) by a displeased chief justice.

Sheikh Azmat Saeed had, at the last hearing, ordered IGP Rehman to prepare and issue, in line with Supreme and high courts’ directions, a seniority list of DSP-rank officials by April 23. However, the orders were not complied with, the CJ was told on Monday.

Taking notice of “defiance of court orders” Justice Saeed summoned him to court in a petition filed by several police officers seeking promotions.

The chief justice, when told that the seniority list had not yet been issued by the IGP, remarked, “In which language should the court write its orders for police officers to understand [them]?” He added that the inspector general’s non-compliance left the court “with no other option” except to frame charges against him. He noted that the IG had failed to comply with the court’s order despite been given time and guidelines.

At an earlier hearing, the IGP had told the court that some DSPs had raised the seniority issue in Supreme Court and the department should defer the promotion issue till the decision on their cases. The CJ, however, had directed him to issue the seniority list in light of courts’ decisions. The judge had observed that if any officer had any objection to the list they could approach the Service Tribunal for redress.

The petitioners say that they were being denied promotions because they did not have a two-year experience on a field posting. They claim that the condition, which the department describes as “mandatory”, is not a pre-requisite for a promotion.

A few of the petitioners say that they have not been promoted as SPs despite Supreme Court directions. They have prayed the court that the IGP be directed to implement court orders and promote them.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2012.