‘Overnight withdrawal of policemen will affect counter-terrorism efforts’

KARACHI:

In its report filed to the Supreme Court, the Sindh government claimed that counter-terrorism efforts will be affected if it went ahead and demoted police officer overnight.

Requesting for two more months to implement orders, Mrs Shiraz Ahmed Chaudhry, the advocate on record for the Sindh government, informed that the government had issued notifications to cancel the absorptions in all departments of the Sindh government, including the police, as per court orders.

The notifications have also been issued to withdraw nominations of assistant commissioners in excess of the quota, repatriation of officers on deputation in Sindh government departments and the withdrawal of out-of-turn promotions awarded to the officers in all departments, including police, the lawyer added.

“The notifications of the withdrawal of out-of-turn promotion of officers are ready,” the report said. Keeping in view the law and order situation in Karachi, which is extremely grave as evident from the recent tragic attack on the convoy of the judge of the Sindh High Court, a large number of officers are engaged in counter-terrorism and enforcement of law, it added.

“Any sudden withdrawal of a large number of officers would seriously jeopardise the government’s efforts to counter terrorism, violence and illegal acts in the city.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2013.