Motorway officers accuse IG of nepotism

Officers won the first round of a legal battle over alleged unfair promotions by the IG of the motorway police.

ISLAMABAD: Officers of the National Highways and Motorway police have won the first round of a legal battle over alleged unfair promotions by the inspector general of the motorway police.

The Rawalpindi High Court, while issuing a stay order in favour of aggrieved police officers, directed Inspector General Wasim Kausar to discontinue implementation of the revised list of promotions, said Mohammad Ramzan Advocate.

The list to promote 177 newly recruited police officers was released on September 28.

The advocate said that 50 DSPs, 500 inspectors and many more sub-inspectors may be demoted after the implementation of the revised list. Overall, more than 3,000 personnel of the motorway police will suffer with these new promotions, he added.

Police officers have filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging the decision by the inspector general. The LHC will take up the matter on Oct 19, when both parties will appear before the court, the advocate said.

The aggrieved police officers admitted that the revised list was prepared following a judgment by the Sindh High Court in favour of the newly recruited 177 police officers. However, another petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the Sindh High Court judgment, the advocate added.

Police officers have alleged that many of the new officers were close relatives of important officials from the motorway police, including an officer Kashif, who is said to be the brother-in-law of the inspector general.  Another officer, Arbab Yawar, is the cousin of the federal Minister for Communications Arbab Alamgir. The inspector general himself was reverted to grade 21 from grade 22 following a recent judgment by the Supreme Court.

Inspector General Wasim Kausar refused to meet The Express Tribune for his comments on the story. Assistant Inspector General (Establishment) Inamur Rehman Malik, who was assigned by the inspector general to comment, ultimately refused to offer any explanation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2010.