Minister defends IGP transfer a day after SC intervention

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Ch Fawad has defended the transfer of Islamabad Police Chief Jan Mohammad, a day after the Supreme Court suspended the notification.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament House, the information minister said the government had received multiple complaints against the top cop and that he had failed to perform his duties responsibly.

He did not act against the drug sale in schools of the Federal Capital, Fawad said.

“IG Police is answerable to the prime minister and chief minister and that the democratically elected public officials have the authority to remove the bureaucrats.”

“If the PM cannot transfer the IG than there's no point in contesting elections.”

The minister was of the view that political oversight was necessary on the state institutions, however, he said, the government would follow whatever the apex court decide.

The SC on Monday suspended the transfer of IGP Islamabad, on the verbal instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan as Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar directed the bureaucrats to defy the illegal orders of the government.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heard a suo motu notice of the IGP’s transfer.

Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan told the chief justice that he had just come to know about the transfer of the IGP. Meanwhile, Secretary Interior Azam Suleman appeared before the court. The chief justice expressed displeasure over his late arrival in the court.

“Are judges supposed to wait for you?” he asked the secretary. He further asked the secretary if he had brought with him the file of the case. “Do you know that the IGP Islamabad has been transferred?” the CJP asked the official.

The secretary interior informed the court that the IGP Islamabad was transferred by the secretary Establishment Division. When the CJP asked the secretary interior in whose jurisdiction the capital police fell, he replied that the interior ministry dealt with the Islamabad Police.

Azam told the court that he had not been consulted at the time of transfer. Meanwhile, the chief justice directed the attorney general to appear before the court along with secretary Establishment Division at 3:30pm.

The chief justice said the apex court will not tolerate political transfers. He recalled that earlier a transfer had also been made in the Punjab and that too within a matter of days. Later, when Secretary Establishment Ijaz Munir appeared before the court, the chief justice asked him about the actual reason behind the transfer of IGP Jan Muhammad.

Munir informed the court that the transfer was long overdue as the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was not satisfied with the IGP’s performance. Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan informed the court that Jan Mohammad was transferred on the verbal orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The chief justice then asked on which minister's orders the prime minister had issued verbal orders for the transfer. "We will not allow the country to be run like this. The country will not be run on somebody's whims but as per the law," he added.

"Is this Naya Pakistan?" the chief justice asked the secretary Establishment. The chief justice observed that the government officers served none other than the state of Pakistan and they should refuse to implement the illegal orders.

Justice Nisar suspended the transfer order and sought a concise statement from the federal government by Tuesday and adjourned further hearing. He also directed the secretaries interior and Establishment Division to submit affidavits stating in writing whatever they had stated in the court orally.