SP, DSP suspended over notices fiasco

Karachi
Two police officials were suspended on Wednesday and will face a departmental inquiry for the publication of public notices in newspapers wherein details were given about six missing people along with the allegation that they were picked up by Rangers.
On the home minister’s directives, IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali ordered the suspension of SP Investigation West Latif Siddiqui and DSP Orangi Fakhrul Islam Usmani. He also formed a team headed by counter-terrorism department chief additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi to probe the case and submit a report to him within seven days.
The SP investigation West, who is currently in Dubai in connection with the Baldia factory fire case, has been called back for questioning.
“The notices were published by mistake,” DIG West Feroze Shah told The News. “It’s a case of negligence of the police officials who had them published,” he added.
He said the investigation carried out so far had revealed that the DSP Orangi had prepared a report and sent it to SP investigation West. Later, these two officials sent the notices to the information department without the permission of their superiors.
The official explained that these “crime notices” were forwarded to the information department for their publication in case police were unable to trace missing people. They carry the missing people’s picture, age, height, etc, and the contact numbers of the police stations concerned.
However, he added, allegations and FIR details were not mentioned in such notices as they were published without ascertaining as to whether a person had been kidnapped or voluntarily left for some reason
“That’s why accusing Rangers of taking away these people was against the rules.”
The team will ascertain as to whether or not the notices were published with a mala fide intent.
The provincial information department had published the notices in different newspapers of Karachi on the request of the Orangi DSP about six men who had went from the jurisdictions of the Orangi Town and Mominabad police stations.
They included Fawad, 26, son of Shamsur Rehman, missing since January 6; Ibrar Ahmed, 40-45, son of Mohammed Ismail, missing since January 20; Syed Tahir Ali, 38, son of Syed Barkat Ali, missing since January 16; Haider Ali, 32, son of Ali Haider, missing since December 1, 2014; Syed Nadir Shah, son of Syed Ahmed Shah, missing since January 1, 2014; and Ahsanullah, son of Abbas Khan, missing since November 21, 2014.
In the notices, it was claimed that these men had been picked up “unidentified Rangers personnel”.
The notices immediately sparked a controversy and the provincial government and police high-ups immediately distanced themselves from their publication maintaining that they had nothing to do with it.

‘Conspiracy against Rangers’
A Rangers spokesperson described the notices as a conspiracy against the paramilitary force and an attempt to malign its reputation.
“A vicious strategy has been chalked out to create a negative public opinion about Rangers despite their services for Karachi and affect the ongoing operation against criminals in the city.”
The spokesperson said the allegation in the notices was completely baseless and Rangers had launched an investigation into the matter. Besides, he added, Rangers reserved the right to take legal action in this connection.

‘Culprits will be exposed’
The chief minister said the notices were an attempt to drive a wedge between Rangers and police and the people responsible for them would soon be exposed.
Talking to reporters at the shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi during the closing ceremony of the saint’s urs, Qaim Ali Shah also said an accountability drive should be conducted across the country, not only in Sindh.

‘Info dept not responsible’
The provincial information minister defended his department saying that it only worked like a post office when it came to the publication of government advertisements and notices.
“The information department doesn’t change the content of government departments’ advertisements and notices,” Nisar Ahmed Khuhro told reporters at a book launch organised at the Karachi Press Club.
“Whoever is found guilty of acting in bad faith, they will surely be penalised,” he added.
He said government departments should scrutinise the content of their advertisements and notices before sending them to the information department for publication. “The notices were forwarded to the information department with a covering letter signed by an SSP-ranked police officer. That officer was responsible for scrutinising the content of the notices.”