With Nasir Durrani’s retirement due in March, aspirants accelerate efforts to get the job

PESHAWAR: At least four officers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two belonging to other provinces are in the run for the top slot of KP Police as the incumbent inspector general of the force Nasir Khan Durrani will retire from service in March.

According to a source, some of the officers, especially those who are to retire in next one or two years, have already accelerated their efforts to get the job.They have been in contact with some of the senior government functionaries to be considered for the position.

“To become an IGP is the dream of every PSP and that is why the senior most among those eligible for the position have started making efforts to get the job before retirement. A few of those who are not very senior also want to clinch the position, the requirement for which is to be in grade-21,” said the source.

Nasir Durrani has been heading the KP Police since September 2013. He was appointed soon after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf formed government in the province following is victory in the May 2013 general election.

The PTI presented the reforms made in the police force during his tenure as one of its major successes.“Now the government will look for someone who can continue the policies and reforms introduced in the force in the last few years. The focus will be to find a boss who improves the police force, introduces public friendly policing at the police station level, takes action against corrupt elements and promotes the operational working of the force,” a source said.

It remains to be seen whether the new boss would manage to introduce the shift system for policemen at the police station level as promised by the PTI government soon after taking over the province and do more for the welfare of the cops.

The force still lacks basic facilities for the cops who have sacrificed the most during the last over one decade including securer and lighter bulletproof jackets and helmets, proper duty hours like other government employees, respectable accommodation at police stations and substantial salaries and other benefits as is the case in other provinces.

The KP Police was appreciated in the mainstream media and on the social media after action was taken against the corrupt officials during the last over three years, making access to the senior police officers easy for the public, introducing specialised schools for improved training and launching specialised forces to deal with terrorism.

The dispute resolution councils, police access service and to some extent the police assistance lines proved helpful to the public in many ways.The terrorism incidents, including bomb blasts, suicide bombings, rocket attacks and extortion calls recorded sharp decrease in KP during the last few years.

Though credit for the improved law and order mostly goes to the security forces’ operations in the tribal areas, the police and its Counter-Terrorism Department played an equally important role.

There are chances that the government may look for an officer who is more flexible compared to Nasir Durrani as politicians were not comfortable with him.Chief Minister Pervez Khattak recently expressed anger over unabated illegal detentions, misbehaviour by the cops with the public at police stations and complaints of taking bribes.

Besides politicians, bureaucrats also had differences with the police over the proposed Police Act 2016 that is still pending as the legislators opposed it.The act remained the bone of contention between the police and civil bureaucracy for over a year.

It remains to be seen whether the police would be able to get the act passed before March or the force would continue to work under the Police Order 2002.Whatever the fate of the proposed Police Act, it is a fact that the three and a half years eventful tenure of Nasir Durrani is regarded by the PTI as its major success in reforming institutions.