PCS officers question accountability,promotion sections in Police Act

PESHAWAR: The officers recruited through the Provincial Civil Service (PCS) have questioned the sections regarding promotion and accountability in the proposed Police Act that is to be tabled in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly next week.

“There is no accountability for the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) officers, who are governed by different E and D rules controlled by Establishment Division Islamabad. As evident from the last three years, all 4,000 plus police officers and officials who have been punished are from provincial police and not a single PSP is included in the list,” said the PCS officers who have approached the media and the opposition members in the KP Assembly to raise voice for their rights.

They claimed that thousands of provincial police officials have demanded a separate service structure and quota in promotions in grade 18 and above but all such requests were turned down by the government and the police heads so that no provincial police officer gets to a higher grade.

“Provincial officers’ encaderment in PSP is so cumbersome that they lose 10 plus years legitimate seniority in grade 18 and are left at the mercy of Establishment Division. According to PSP Service Rules 1985, grade18 and above seats promotions are the sole prerogative of the Establishment Division, then how the IGP is promoting officers in grade 18?” questioned an official.

The official termed it selective application of constitutional laws (article 142 and 240). “The government and the PSPs are not giving due promotions to provincial officers in higher grades on the plea that it is federal  government’s prerogative, while on the other hand they are creating senior posts  in police from provincial exchequer and then handing it over to the federal government to promote officers from other provinces,” the officer complained.

The officer added that Pakistan Administrative Service was a federal service but it has allocated promotion quota for provincial officers in grade 18 and above.“The provincial government has shown its inability to protect rights of provincial police officers even after 18th amendment which has shifted law and order and police affairs to the provinces,” the officer argued.

“The lower subordinate police have been fooled for fast track promotions. The ordinance has fast track 25% promotions to sub-inspectors, inspectors and DSPs. This will create further complications and bifurcation in same batches as those left behind will be discouraged. Also, fast track DSPs would be blocked like that of the directly recruited DSPs most of whom are in grade 18 for the last 15 years with meagre prospects of further promotions,” he added.