Venting: Top cop grills SHOs over ‘poor performance’

Chiefs of specific police stations questioned over rising crime.

The meeting was attended by all SHOs of the capital.

ISLAMABAD:
The capital’s police chief on Monday reprimanded his subordinates over ‘poor performance’ in their respective areas during a meeting at the Police Lines, revealed a police official.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tahir Alam Khan seems unhappy with some Station House Officers (SHOs) over their poor performance and warned them to show progress otherwise disciplinary action would be taken against them, said a source privy to the meeting.

The meeting was attended by all SHOs of the capital and few were feeling heat after Khan grilled them for an hour. The sources said SHO Industrial area Asjad Mahmood, Hakim Khan of Kohsar, Raja Tahir Hussain of Sabzi Mandi, Muhammad Nawaz Bhatti of Secretariat, and Arshad Ali of Bara Kahu Police Station was among the officers who reportedly faced a tough time.

“Either show your performance or leave the profession, I have to convince the ministry [of interior] that we are reducing crime in the city,” said the source while quoting the police chief. Last week Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had expressed concern over the poor performance of capital police and asked IGP to pull up his socks by reducing crime in the capital.

“Obviously, pressure would divert towards the subordinates if the ministry questions the police chief over the poor performance,” remarked another police officer.

During the meeting, the police chief questioned SHO Industrial area Asjad Mahmood for his failure to arrest his fellows who were allegedly involved in the murder of a Christian youth in Sector I-9 last month. Interestingly, three police officers who were nominated in the murder case are still at large despite the lapse of three weeks.


When contacted, Mahmood denied that the police chief grilled him. “The police chief just gave me guidelines in a few cases which come under my domain,” he claimed. He admitted that police have yet to arrest the officers despite various raids in different locations.

Similarly, SHO Kohsar Hakim Khan also faced a tough time after he failed to convince the police chief that crime in his area, which houses some of the most posh localities of the capital, was under control.  In his jurisdiction, the crime ratio also increased. In 2014, a total of 59 vehicles and 25 motorcycles were stolen from his area, which was high as compared to 2013. In 2103, 51 vehicles and 15 motorcycles were stolen.

The Sabzi Mani chief was also questioned over his performance as a total of 82 vehicles were stolen along with 54 motorcycles in his jurisdiction last year. A total of 84 cases related to robbery were reported in the same year which was high as compared to 2013 when 74 cases of robbery were reported. Similarly, a total of 80 cases were registered against illegal weapon carriers however in 2013 only 44 such cases were registered.

The IGP is also reportedly unhappy with the Bara Kahu SHO, in whose jurisdiction a total of 76 cases related to illegal weapons’ possession were registered and six people murdered in 2014.

The officers were not available for comments despite repeated attempts.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2015.
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