400 cops in Sindh facing trial may still be working

Supreme Court show speechless police chief how many of his men are wanted for crimes such as robbery and murder.

KARACHI:

Four hundred policemen across Sindh, supposed to be behind bars, are apparently still working. It is small wonder, noted the judges of the Supreme Court on Friday, that the people had no faith in the force.

The list of the indicted policemen by district, FIR, type of crime and prosecution was laid bare in a report by the Sindh High Court’s inspection team. The Supreme Court judges waved the blue file at the speechless police during the hearing on the violence in Karachi.

“It represents an alarming and dangerous breakdown of the administration in the police force. But, the police chief is not even aware of this fact,” observed the four judges who have been grilling the police on how far its orders have been implemented to make Karachi safe.

It is a measure of the police and Sindh government’s performance that the police chief and two top bureaucrats could be found in contempt for failing to follow the SC’s orders laid down over a year ago. The contempt petition was filed by Senator Haji Adil Khan.

On Friday, the judges took police chief Fayyaz Leghari by surprise by telling him that approximately 300 to 400 policemen were facing criminal proceedings under various charges, including murder.

What action have you taken against those policemen involved in crimes and facing trial, they asked Leghari. The judges mused that it was highly possible that even though these policemen were wanted for crimes, they had probably still been promoted and were still working in the field. Justice Jawwad Khawaja pulled up one name and asked Leghari if he knew where the officer was.

“Since I head the 100,000-strong force I don’t know exactly where they are currently posted in the province,” he replied, before giving a stock answer: “Usually, anyone found involved in crimes is suspended and disciplinary action is taken against him.”

The judges said they were not interested in 100,000 employees. We only want to know whether any disciplinary action was taken against as many 300 to 400 personnel, who face criminal trials, but they are still posted.

They directed the IG to submit a complete report disclosing current postings of those officials, disciplinary action taken against them and reasons as to why the prosecution had not concluded cases against them and what action was taken, if any.

The judges noted some cases dated to 2004 and many of them were at the stage of evidence or production of prosecution witnesses. However, they noted there was little possibility of conviction since none of the witnesses would dare testify against men in uniform.

Police Stations

The number of FIRs registered against policemen across Karachi. Some cases involve more than one officer: 

Artillery                       6

Nabi Bux                     2

Saddar                         4

Kharadar                     2

Darakhshan                1

Baloch Colony            2

Chakiwara                  1

Garden                        1

Preedy                         3

FIA                              1

Korangi                       2

Liaquatabaad              2

Gizri                            1

City Court                   4

Mithadar                     1

Aclc                             2

New Town                  1

Gulshan-E-Iqbal        1

Shah Faisal Colony     1

Sachal                          1

Memon Goth              1

Sohrab Goth               1

Railway Landhi          1

Kh A Nagri                  1

Gulberg                       1

Sharifabad                  1

Peerabad                     2

Saeedabad                  3

Surjani                       2

Mauripur                   1

Pak Bazaar                1

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2013.