Poor performance: 10 police officials in district East dismissed

SSP Awan reinstated as chief of Special Investigation Unit.

KARACHI: At least 10 police officials of district East, who had been suspended earlier, were dismissed from service after their involvement in drug dens was confirmed on Friday.

According to a police official, a departmental inquiry confirmed that these policemen were working in collusion with drug dens across the city. DIG East Munir Ahmed Shaikh had approved the findings of the inquiry committee, headed by district East SSP Pir Muhammad Shah, who was given the task of conducting investigations against the suspended personnel.

Earlier on September 25, around 39 district East personnel were suspended and a departmental inquiry was ordered against them for, what DIG Shaikh termed was, “their involvement in corrupt practices, including extortion and receiving bribes from drug dens as complained by the citizens.”

SSP Shah told The Express Tribune that the inquiry report was submitted to DIG Shaikh while marking the names of certain officials as “incorrigible characters”, keeping in view their past track records.

SSP Awan reinstated as SIU chief

Sindh police’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) received its chief back on Friday, as the provincial government issued notification for the appointment of SP Mohammed Farooq Awan at the specialised unit that works particularly against kidnappings for ransom and bank robberies.

SP Awan, along with 11 other officers, was demoted to the deputy superintendent of police rank on August 12 as directed by the Supreme Court in the out-of-turn promotions of police officials case, following which he had left the SIU chief’s office.

However, a number of officers, including SP Awan, later applied for their promotions to the SP rank on seniority basis and received approvals through the departmental promotion committee, chaired by additional home secretary, on October 8. SP Awan was awaiting posting orders since then.

Meanwhile, the notifications were also issued for the appointments of three more SPs, including Faisal Noor as Landhi SP, Mian Afnan Ameen as West district traffic SP and Shafi Rind as East district headquarters SP.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.