ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar has barred all the officers under Interior Division, especially the police officers, from soliciting any foreign training courses and visits abroad at their own and anyone found doing so will be proceeded against, documents available with The News reveal.
According to Interior Ministry’s letter, such strict instruction came after a few officers particular from Police Service of Pakistan were found directly interacting with the foreign embassies/missions to manage invitations to attend trainings, seminars, conferences, workshops, meetings etc. abroad. Since Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government’s inception, the Interior Ministry has been barring its officers from making foreign visits by arranging invitations at their own.
Sources in Interior Ministry told The News that it has been the policy of the ministry that only those officers who will be recommended by the Ministry would go on foreign training courses, missions and seminars and that no other officer could make such a tour as it is against the laid down instructions. “From now onwards,we will proceed against such officers”, the sources added.
The letter dated: 12 January 2017, titled ‘Foreign Training Courses/Visits Abroad’, has been sent to fifteen attached departments of Interior division.
It states that ‘refer to the subject noted above that it has been observed that some attached departments of Ministry of Interior directly correspond with foreign diplomatic Missions, International Organizations in Pakistan and abroad vice versa. Cabinet Division vide their U.O.No.9-148/2002-Min.ii dated 17-05-2008 has directed that “No Ministry or Government functionary should solicit at his own an invitation for participation in trainings, seminars, conferences, workshops, meetings etc from any source”. Government officials, particularly police officers posted in federal as well as provincial levels interact directly with foreign embassies/missions and manage to receive invitation (s) to attend trainings, seminars, conferences, workshops, meetings etc which is highly objectionable in view of the above mentioned instructions as well as violation of Rule No. 56(1) of Rules of Business, 1973 and Secretariat instructions. All concerned are requested not to entertain any such invitation from foreign embassies/Mission wherein officers of Federal/Provincial governments are invited by name. Please be advised that in future, such correspondence would be views with displeasure and invite required disciplinary action.’
The letter barring officers from arraning foreign visits abroad at their own has been sent to Director General Federal Investigation Agency; Chief Commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory; DG Immigration and Passport; DG Civil Defence; Commandant Frontier Constabulary Peshawar; DG Rangers Punjab; DG Rangers Sindh; IG Frontier Corps Peshawar; IG FC Balochistan; DG Pakistan Coastal Guards; DG Gilgit Baltistan Scouts; Chairman National Database and Registration Authority; Commandant National Police Academy; DG National Academy for Prisons Staff/Administration and DG National Police Bureau, Islamabad.