close
Thursday March 28, 2024

Sihala Police Training College, its head

Plot to malign

By Hanif Khalid
March 07, 2015
ISLAMABAD: According to preliminary investigations into news about Sihala Police Training College, a specific group has been found involved in character assassination of a senior policeman and defaming police department.
Jang sought opinion from former and serving senior police officers about College Commandant Muhammad Zulfiqar Khan, holder of Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal and President Police Medal. The officers replied that Zulfiqar is an honest, and dutiful officer. He has served as SSP Lahore, DIG Multan, and DIG Anti-Terrorism (Punjab) etc.
No head of Punjab police has ever had a complaint against him, which is why Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and IG Mushtaq Sakhera selected him to be commandant of the training college on July 3, 2014.
Police trainees, both male and female, have found him caring and strict on disciplinary matters. It was found during the investigations that due to zero tolerance policy against corruption at the college, some staff members are disturbed and have started baseless and harmful propaganda against Zulfiqar. These elements have been issuing a letter, without bearing signatures of anyone, to media persons for two and a half months, aimed at character assassination of Zulfiqar.
Trainee officers told Jang that 76 female and 350 male police officers are getting training under Zulfiqar’s command on modern lines and in very conducive environment at the college. Female trainees are perturbed due to the scandalous letter which is a cause of concern not only for them, but also for their families. They demanded that IG Punjab and the chief minister take notice of this propaganda. It is learnt that IG Punjab has appointed Additional IG (Establishment) Naseemuz Zaman and SSP Akbar Nasir to investigate the matter and furnish a report shortly.
Meanwhile, Sihala Police Training College Course Commander Ali Mohsin Naqvi told a private news channel that such news is concocted, baseless and reflective of lack of awareness of the law. He said the report, mentioning that the college commandant has taken charge of inquiry into the matter from SP Marya Bibi and given it to him, is a pack of lies.
He told Jang that according to law, a junior officer cannot hold inquiry against a senior officer. “How can a Grade 18 officer conduct inquiry against a Grade 20 officer. Neither any inquiry was assigned to Marya Bibi, nor taken from her. This affair is a deep conspiracy to malign Punjab Police,” he said.