A judge on Wednesday directed the Islamabad police to recruit selected candidates, who were deprived of jobs when the interior ministry arbitrarily banned new appointments.
Taking action on a petition filed by the candidates in 2010, Islamabad High Court (IHC) asked the police to recruit the 485 constables and 111 assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) who were selected on merit and submit a compliance report to the court by June 8.
On receiving the order, the interior ministry sent it to the finance and establishment divisions for creating new posts.
The ministry had banned the recruitment of selected candidates after dispatch of confirmation letters to them. The ministry wanted to select its own candidates but the selection committee refused, according to a police official requesting not to be named.
“The ministry had given a list of over 200 candidates for induction in the police force, but the committee refused to oblige,” said the official who was associated with the selection and recruitment process. The committee maintained that if the selected candidates were bypassed after issuance of appointment letters, they could move a court. “This infuriated the ministry which banned recruitments until further orders,” added the official.
The ban was imposed at a time when the capital police were in dire need of manpower to fight crime since majority of the force was engaged in VVIP duties.
The selected candidates reported to police headquarters for appointments but were forced to challenge the ban on recruitment in court. They contended that the ban was not justified after the final selection, especially since the interior ministry had itself given a ‘No Objection Certificate’ to the police for recruiting constables and ASIs.
Officers on deputation ordered to return
The IHC in another case directed the interior secretary, the capital inspector-general of police and chief commissioner to repatriate all police officials performing duties on deputation in Islamabad.
Seventeen officials, including seven from Islamabad Traffic Police, had challenged the transfer of police officials from other provinces to Islamabad on deputation last year.
The petitioners contended that deputing police officials from outside the city affected the seniority of senior inspectors of the capital police.
The petitioners’ counsel, Muhammad Tayyab, had earlier maintained that many officers of the Islamabad police have been waiting promotions for the last many years.
He argued that no officer should be sent on deputation unless he has completed three years of service in their parent department after returning from a deputation, according to rules.
The court was informed that the petitioners had already been recommended for promotion to the rank of inspectors by the departmental promotion committee
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2012.
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