Withdrawal of out-of-turn promotions: Hundreds of officers to be reverted to KP Police

PESHAWAR: Hundreds of officers are to be reverted to the lower ranks as all the regional police officers and heads of respective units have been directed to issue orders of withdrawal of all out-of-turn promotions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday (today).

All the regional and district police officers and heads of units have been directed on Sunday to issue orders of withdrawal of out of turn promotions by March 13 after personally hearing all those given the speedy promotions.

They were ordered to send a copy of the orders to the Central Police Office so these can be submitted in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on next hearing on March 16.

The RPOs and other heads were earlier sent a circular by the deputy inspector general headquarters on Saturday to hear the police officers and officials in person on Sunday for ensuring transparency.

The cops, who availed out of turn promotions and were falling in list A, B, C in the seniority, were directed to be heard by the respective district police officers while those in list D and E were to be heard by

the RPOs.

The officers in list F and above were directed to be heard by the deputy inspector general operations assisted by assistant inspector general Legal.

“All the officers coming for personal hearing are bound to sign an attendance sheet that along with the proceedings shall be submitted to the office of AIG Legal at CPO by March 13,” stated a circular to all the officers. It also directed that the matter shall be treated as most immediate.

The KP Police have finalised the implementation report regarding out of turn promotions in the last

many years to submit it before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan in a suo moto case had directed the force to submit the implementation of the verdict report before the next hearing on March 16 after the KP Police sought six weeks’ time.

The implementation has been done in other provinces after the court has termed the practice unlawful.

According to a source, along with hundreds of other cops, a number of acting superintendents of police, deputy superintendents of police and inspectors are to be reverted to the lower ranks once they are deprived of their out of turn promotions.

Some of these officers have already served against key positions, including the district police officers as well as SPs in different wings. Once the policy is implemented, many are likely to be placed junior even to their subordinates.

The implementation will also create more positions for the junior cops who are to be elevated to fill the vacated positions.

A number of those given speedy promotions have approached various forums in the past months, saying several of these cops were duly rewarded as per the law for topping the respective courses, becoming the cadet or exhibiting bravery during their service.

In 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had declared all out-of-turn promotions in the Police Department void.

In Sindh, 879 police officers who got out of turn promotion were reverted in one go a few years ago.