City police chief orders transfers of officials posted at same units for three years or more

Additional IG Karachi Amir Ahmed Shaikh has expressed concerns over many police officials remaining posted at the same unit for as long as eight to 10 years and directed the relevant police authorities to ensure that such officials were transferred to other units.

Official sources said the city police chief took such move when he reviewed the posting records and ACRs of the Sindh police officials.

In this regard, the addl IG Karachi issued directives to the deputy inspector generals (DIGs) of East, West and South ranges, the Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) and others and the SSPs of Security-II, Muhafiz Force, court police and Foreign Security Cell (FSC) Karachi.

The officers were notified that “It has come to notice of the Addl IG Karachi Range that most of the Police Officers and men are serving in various offices and not remained posted in Police Stations for field duties since 10 to 15 years and getting promotions with outstanding ACRs.”

The DIGS and SSPs were told that necessary directions had already been issued in a letter dated September 23, 2018, regarding the transfers and postings of officials between the ranks of constable and inspector who had completed three years or more in their respective units.

“In view of above, the Addl IG Karachi Range has directed to please comply [with] the directions and furnish [a] compliance report to this office immediately within 7 days positively,” the directive read.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Dr Kaleem Imam has also taken notice of the fact that officials posted at the Central Police Office (CPO) and other units are not being checked systematically with regard to their attendance and timings.

The IGP issued a directive in this regard which read, “It has been observed that attendance of staff in most of the branches of CPO is not being checked systematically. The Incharges of branches have divided manpower in shifts.

There is no mechanism to check presence of staff in allotted shifts, whether the shift timing are followed properly or not.”

The police officials are supposed to attend their offices in three shifts. Those who belong to Shift A need to be present at their office from 9am till 5pm.

The timings of Shift B start at 5pm and end at 12am while Shift C works between 12am and 9pm.

An inspection team was deputed to check the attendance of police staff in the aforementioned shifts in different branches. The team found that many officials remained absent and others did not follow their timings strictly. For a significant number of officials, coming to office for an hour or two as a formality sufficed.

The team reported that the lack of any monitoring mechanism had resulted in absenteeism, and underutilisation and mismanagement of human resource at the CPO.

To rectify the situation, attendance through biometric system has been made mandatory for all the officers and officials posted at the CPO.

They have been directed to coordinate with the director IT for biometric registration. The names of all the officers and officials with their shift timings are being provided to the director IT to ensure their sign-in and sign-out through biometric system.

The CPO staff has been informed that those who do not mark attendance through biometric system will be considered absent and disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against them.

A separate report in hard copy against absentees and those who leave their shift duties before the marked time will be sent to the Establishment office on a daily basis.

The director IT will also send such reports regularly through email. The incharges of various branches have also been directed to send copies of leave orders of any staff on leave to the director IT, CPO, who is to establish a separate desk for attendance management through biometric system.