Appointment of G-B top cop challenged
The move will demoralise senior police officials: petitioner.
GILGIT:
The appointment of Gilgit-Baltistan’s new Inspector General of Police (IGP) has been challenged in court.
A petition, filed by former IGP Hussain Asghar and acting IGP Wazir Muhammad Ali Khan, says that Usman Zakria’s appointment as the new IGP deprives many police officials with more seniority than him of their right to promotion.
“One of the reasons why we moved against Zakria is that he is junior to many of the police officers serving in G-B’s police department,” Hussain told The Express Tribune on Tuesday. Hussain was suspended from his post in July 2011 on the orders of Supreme Court last year when he failed to report back to the Federal Investigation Agency in the Hajj scam case. Khan had been appointed as the acting IGP in his place.
Last year, the G-B government had asked the federal government to transfer Zakria to G-B to fill a vacant Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG). Last week he was promoted to the post of IGP.
“Zakria was promoted to grade-20 last year while we have at least four DIGs senior to him who were promoted to grade-20 six to seven years back,” Hussain said, adding that appointment of a junior official will demoralise other senior officials working in police department.
Hussain said that former IGP Hussain Asghar is still drawing his salary from G-B government. “Importing” a new IGP would mean the G-B government would have to provide salaries to two IGPs simultaneously, which is not in the region’s interests. The court will hear the case on Wednesday.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2012.
The appointment of Gilgit-Baltistan’s new Inspector General of Police (IGP) has been challenged in court.
A petition, filed by former IGP Hussain Asghar and acting IGP Wazir Muhammad Ali Khan, says that Usman Zakria’s appointment as the new IGP deprives many police officials with more seniority than him of their right to promotion.
“One of the reasons why we moved against Zakria is that he is junior to many of the police officers serving in G-B’s police department,” Hussain told The Express Tribune on Tuesday. Hussain was suspended from his post in July 2011 on the orders of Supreme Court last year when he failed to report back to the Federal Investigation Agency in the Hajj scam case. Khan had been appointed as the acting IGP in his place.
Last year, the G-B government had asked the federal government to transfer Zakria to G-B to fill a vacant Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG). Last week he was promoted to the post of IGP.
“Zakria was promoted to grade-20 last year while we have at least four DIGs senior to him who were promoted to grade-20 six to seven years back,” Hussain said, adding that appointment of a junior official will demoralise other senior officials working in police department.
Hussain said that former IGP Hussain Asghar is still drawing his salary from G-B government. “Importing” a new IGP would mean the G-B government would have to provide salaries to two IGPs simultaneously, which is not in the region’s interests. The court will hear the case on Wednesday.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2012.