KP remains indecisive over appointment of new IGP

PESHAWAR: With several contenders for the office of the top cop of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the federal and provincial governments have yet to name the new inspector general of police (IGP) although the previous police chief has already retired.

Akhtar Ali Shah, the senior most among the additional IGPs, is currently heading the KP Police as its acting head after Nasir Khan Durrani’s retirement on March 16. The government didn’t name the new IGP before March 16 as it is yet to decide the matter.

“The situation speaks volume of the differences on selection of the new IGP from the list of hopefuls. With each passing day, the situation is becoming embarrassing for the government as to why it cannot decide the new police chief at a time when the force is faced with various threats and challenges,” a senior official told The News.

A source said that different groups are supporting their own man for the IGP’s job and this created a crisis-like situation. In fact, the government should have named the new police chief well before the retirement of the previous one, so they would not need an acting IGP.

There were reports that some of those having a say in the government want a strict operational commander, others will prefer someone to continue the reforms agenda of Nasir Durrani while a few seek someone who will be flexible towards the political government.

Under the previous rules, the KP government was supposed to send three names to the federal government to pick one of them as the new IGP.

“However, under the new police act, the provincial government is to pick one officer from the list of eligible officers sent by the Centre,” a source said.