Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Inspector General AD Khawaja has formed a special police team for fair transfer and postings of officials.

Meanwhile, the appointments of as many as 22 officers have been withdrawn by the IG. The officers were transferred by the Sindh government recently.

DIG Aftab Pathan would lead the seven-member. DIGs Munir Shaikh, Amir Shaikh, Imran Yaqoob Minhas and Azad Khan; and two SSPs Naeem Ahmed Shaikh and Javed Akbar Riaz are members of the team.

According to a letter issued by the IG’s office, in compliance of the directives contained in Para 96 (a) of the judgement of the Sindh High Court dated September 7, in CP No D-7097 of 2016 and CP D-131of 2017, a committee comprising of following officers is hereby formed to frame draft which IGP Sindh (and/or police hierarchy acting through him) is to exercise the power of transfers and postings in the police force at all levels including PSP officers serving in the province.

It added that the rules must be framed to ensure autonomy of command and independence of operation.

The rules must be transparent in form and reality and fair in operations and effect.

“The rules must also, inter alia, set out the period or term that is ordinarily to be served at any level/post so as to ensure that the rules laid down by the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Anita Turab case shall apply in relation there to. The committee shall complete the task by conducting proceedings on daily basis including holidays and shall submit first draft for the perusal of IGP Sindh within ten days,” it added.

The provincial government and Khawaja have been in a tug of war for the last year, with one of the main bones of connection between them being the transfer and postings.

In April, the Sindh government had sent Khawaja packing and appointed a Grade-21 officer in his place.

However, in June, the government withdrew the powers of IG Khawaja to decide the transfers and postings.

Published in Daily Times, September 10^th 2017.