Counter-terrorism: PSP resents Home Department plans

A delegation to meet the IG today to discuss reservations.

LAHORE:

A member of Police Service of Pakistan Officers’ Association met on Wednesday at capital city police officer’s office (CPO) to discuss their reservations on amendments to the Punjab police proposed cadre by the Home department.

The meeting came in the wake of reports that the Home Department was set to take direct control of Elite Force and the Special Branch.

A Punjab Police DIG blamed unnamed Pakistan Administrative Service (formerly known as the District Management Group) officers for proposing retired army officers be recruited for the Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF).

He said that a meeting held at Model Town at the prime minister’s residence in November decided that the Counter-Terrorism Department be dissolved.

He said the proposal had not been placed before the cabinet. He also said senior police officers were not consulted.

He said only unsigned minutes of the meeting were distributed, providing for a new force to curb terrorism in the Punjab. The force would be independent of the police.

A senior police officer, privy to the meeting minutes, said the age of the new recruits for the ATF was 18-25 years. He said they would be paid Rs75,000. By comparison, he said a constable drew Rs20,000. He said freshly-recruited corporals would have the same responsibilities.



He said some PAS officers had advised the government to remove the Elite Force and direct the Special Branch to assist in intelligence gathering.

Some officers said the Home Department was also planning to take away the Investigation Wing.

Strength in numbers

A senior police officer said that 120 PSP officers, including 14 DPOs had attended the meeting on Wednesday.

He said while some of the participants proposed lobbying lawmakers, others including some DPOs, said senior police officers should surrender their posts and refuse to work.

Some proposed resignations of all PSP officers in the Punjab.

Several speakers expressed their resentment against the current inspector general.

One of the officers said IGP Khan Baig, the ex-officio chairman of the PSP Association’s Punjab chapter, should have been at the meeting.

Instead, he said, Baig had sent a message asking for the association to name 10 officers, two each from BSP 17-21, to meet him at his office on Thursday and put forward their concerns.

An SSP said the PSP officers were of the view that the PAS was trying to induct retired army men to deny PSP their role.

He said the competitive exam held for recruitment to police would be redundant if the government decided to induct retired army personnel in the police force for senior police jobs.

Meeting the chief

A senior member of the PSP Association said a delegation meet Baig to discuss their reservations. He said if Baig failed to address their concerns, members of the association would consider stop working in protest.

He said they expected Baig to take a strong position.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2013.