KP kicks off process to revert 800 cops

PESHAWAR: In a major development in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, the process to revert around 800 policemen, including the acting superintendent of police (SP), was launched on Monday after respective heads issued orders to a number of cops about withdrawal of out-of-turn promotions given to them in the last several years.

“A number of policemen who were given out-of-turn promotions in the past were reverted on the order of the court on Monday. A total of around 800 cops are to be reverted in the coming couple of days. The process is taking time as individual order is being issued for every policeman,” a source told The News.

A number of SPs, DSPs and inspectors are among those who are to be placed junior after their seniority has been withdrawn by the Central Police Office as well as their respective deputy inspector general (DIGs).

“In a number of cases on Monday, a detailed three-page order was issued by the relevant DPO, RPO or unit head about the withdrawal of out-of-turn promotion of every individual policeman, or policewoman. The letters also mentioned the verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, stating the force is bound to comply with the orders,” said the source.

The source said the affected officers approached various forums till Monday to stop the orders of the withdrawal of out-of-turn promotions. The senior officers, however, argued that the bosses of the force cannot avoid the implementation of the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. A meeting on the issue was going on at 9 pm at the Central Police Office on Monday night.

The matter has been pending for years as it involved a huge number of policemen, including those who have already served as district police officers and SPs in different areas of KP. “Their final list will be made available later to know as to how many of them were acting SPs, DSPs and junior officers,” a senior official told The News.

A few of these cops have already got retirement to avoid demotion to the lower ranks. All the regional and district police officers and heads of units were directed on Sunday to issue the order of withdrawal of out-of-turn promotions by March 13 after personally hearing all those given these seedy promotions. They were ordered to send a copy of the orders to the Central Police Office so that these can be submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the next hearing on March 16.

The RPOs and other heads were earlier directed 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 heard by the respective district police officers while those in list D and E were heard by the RPOs. The officers in list F and above were heard by the deputy inspector general operations assisted by the assistant inspector general Legal at the Central Police Office,” said an official.

The officers coming for personal hearings were directed to sign the attendance sheet so that it is submitted along with the proceedings to the office of AIG Legal at the CPO. The Supreme Court of Pakistan in a suo moto case had directed the force to submit the implementation of the verdict report in the case of the out-of-turn promotion before the next hearing on March 16 after the KP Police sought six weeks time.

Many of the reverted officers have served in key positions in different wings and many are likely to be placed junior even to their subordinates. A number of those given speedy promotions have approached various forums in the past months, claiming several of these cops were duly rewarded as per the law for topping the respective courses, becoming the cadet or exhibiting extraordinary bravery during their service.