Selection committee constituted to vet officials before appointments

In a bid to reform the law enforcement agency of the metropolis by improving the criteria of transfers and postings, the Karachi police chief has constituted a selection committee that would vet officials before their appointments.

The order issued by Additional Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Mahar read that a body had been formed to conduct examinations for the selection of inspectors and sub-inspectors for the post of station house officer, as well as assistant sub-inspectors and intermediate school course-qualified head constables for the post of head muharrir.

The members of the committee were listed as DIG Sultan Ali Khawaja of the East Range, DIG Zulfiqar Ali Larik of the West Range, DIG Azad Khan of the South Range, DIG Saqib Ismail Memon of the Crime Investigation Agency, SP Zulfiqar Ali Mahar of the East Zone Investigation-I and SP Tauqeer Muhammad Naeem of the Saddar Division.

According to the order, the selection body would conduct written tests and interviews of all the police officers and officials interested in a promotion, and shortlist 300 inspectors and sub-inspectors as well as 500 assistant sub-inspectors and intermediate school course-qualified head constables with clean service records and good reputations for the posts of station house officer and head muharrir respectively.

The city police chief has granted three weeks for the names of qualified officers and officials to be furnished to his office. He has ordered that the date of conducting a written test or an interview should be announced through police control as well as through letters, and they should be posted on the notice board of every police station, the police headquarters and all the units of the Karachi Range.

Mahar has also issued the order that all the police officers and officials who had earlier been appointed as station house officer or head muharrir and who had a bad reputation should be recommended for being declared as blacklisted.

Illegal detentions

Taking notice of recent cases of ordinary citizens being kept in illegal detention by police officials, the Sindh police chief has constituted an enquiry committee to be headed by the East Range deputy inspector general.

The order issued by Inspector General of Police AD Khowaja read that with the approval of the competent authority, East Range DIG Sultan Ali Khan had been nominated as the enquiry officer to investigate into the incident of the alleged kidnapping of one Maqsood Bakar at the hands of the police on October 11 in the Tipu Sultan police precincts.

The order stated that the enquiry officer would conduct a discreet investigation into the incident and furnish a detailed report along with his specific recommendations to the office of the provincial police chief within a week.

Earlier, Khowaja had taken notice of the rising number of illegal detentions of citizens by police officials and directed the relevant DIGs to check police excesses.

In his letter, a copy of which was also sent to the Karachi police chief, Khowaja said: “It has been noted with grave concern by the inspector general of police that the frequency of illegal detentions is on the rise in various police stations, especially in specialised units.

“Of late, there have been two incidents of illegal detentions: one reported at the Ferozabad police station and the other in the Anti-Violent Crime Cell. These unlawful detentions have not only caused grave concern among common citizens but also portrayed a bad image of the Karachi police as a whole.”

The letter added that it was expected that officers commanding districts, zones or specialised units would exercise effective supervisory control and pay frequent visits to police stations and units to ensure that the practice of keeping citizens in illegal detention was immediately checked and those responsible were punished severely to set an example for others.

The DIG of East Zone was asked to initiate disciplinary action against the Ferozabad police station officials involved in illegally detaining three men, and the Crime Investigation Agency DIG was asked to initiate disciplinary action against the Anti-Violent Crime Cell officials involved in the illegal detention of a citizen. The Establishment AIG was directed to follow up on action to be taken by the units after 15 days.