Daily Times

KARACHI: Expressing dissatisfaction over the report submitted by Sindh chief secretary on action taken against errant police officers, the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry has directed him to submit a complete report on next hearing.

Headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed a three-judge bench was seized with the hearing of a suo motu case regarding the involvement of police officials in crimes including murder, robbery, and extortion.

During the hearing, the Sindh chief secretary submitted a report which the court termed incomplete and directed him to submit complete report on next hearing.

An inquiry committee with additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi as its head was constituted to scrutinize the record of police officer with patchy background to look for their involvement in crimes.

The committee submitted its report informing the court that it had scrutinized then record and found 12361 policemen with patchy record. In order to ensure that no one is meted out injustice, the committee further decided to give personal hearing to all individuals suspected to have patchy record along with detailed scrutiny of their service sheets.

Of them, disciplinary action was recommended against 352 whereas 1182 officers were cleared.

The report said 17 police officers were dismissed from services, whereas 122 were sent on compulsory retirement whereas 11 opted for voluntary retirement.

During previous hearing, Justice Gulzar Ahmed expressed dissatisfaction over the committee’s report, saying that, “the ‘big fish’, implying high-profile officials, never get trapped and the police investigation revolves around low profile personnel only.”

Justice Maqbool Baqar, another member of the bench, asserted that there is an urgency of dispelling an impression that police officials are exempted to obey the rules while urging authorities concerned for strict action.

Talking about the possibilities, the Sindh advocate general said action could be taken against officers in the police department under the Civil Servants Act.

Published in Daily Times, July 29^th , 2017.