PHC dismisses police officers’ petition

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday dismissed a writ petition of the police officers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seeking orders to empower the provincial government for promotion and seniority of provincial police officers, who have been merged in the cadre of Police Service of Pakistan (PSP).

A two-member bench comprising Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Roohul Amin Khan dismissed the petition. It had been filed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Zafarullah and Sajid Ali and SSP Rabnawaz Khan.

During the arguments, the petitioners’ lawyer submitted that the provincial government was appointing DSP level police officers and after their promotion to grade-18, they were awarded different ranks under various quotas.  

He said the promotion and seniority of the provincial police officers were being ignored and preference was being given to those provincial police officers, who were directly appointed through the Central Superior Services (CSS) in the PSP cadre.

Through this process, he added, the provincial junior police officers were promoted and the seniors remained junior to them in the Police Department, which he termed illegal and against the law. The petitioners’ lawyer submitted that the court should issue direction for giving the powers of promotion and seniority to the provincial government to determine the promotion of provincial police officers.