Saeed Ghani told a news conference on Saturday that he used to think the Sindh police chief was a level-headed person, but after his recent letter to the chief secretary he considered him an “irresponsible and inconsistent” officer.
The information minister clarified that the inspector general of police (IGP) has the authority to only transfer an officer who is already working in the province. Who will be transferred from Sindh or other provinces is the prerogative of the provincial government, he said.
Ghani said the police chief has no authority to demand the federal government for officers of his choice. He termed the approach of IGP Dr Syed Kaleem Imam towards his official responsibilities “inconsistent”.
The minister said the police chief has been praising the same officer about whom he previously had quite a negative opinion. He mentioned the name of Deputy Inspector General Khadim Rind in this regard.
Ghani said the IGP is making a mockery of the Sindh police. He said that in Punjab five police chiefs have been transferred within months and no one ever wrote a letter to anyone about it, but Dr Imam has written two.
The minister said that in the first letter sent on November 2 the police chief had demanded the transfer of four officers, while in the following letter sent on November 26 he repeated his demand.
Ghani said the IGP has unduly categorised the police officers, adding that he does not know on whose tune Dr Imam has been dancing. He said he was responding to the police chief’s letter only after it had been leaked to the media before reaching the government.
‘Anti-Sindh politics’
The minister also accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) of promoting anti-Sindh politics in the province, claiming that the party wants to create insecurity among the Urdu-speaking community for the sake of their ulterior motives.
Ghani censured the MQM-P’s demand for creating more provinces in Sindh, saying that the provincial government strongly condemns the “illogical, irrational and absurd” demand of the party.
The minister asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to clarify their position on the MQM-P’s “unfounded” demand, saying that the ruling party’s silence on the issue has been fuelling suspicions.
He said the bill tabled by the MQM-P for creating new provinces in Sindh will never be passed by any of the assemblies in the country.
The Sindh Assembly is explicitly clear on the issue and has already passed resolutions against the creation of any new province in Sindh, he added.