SC-mandated panel’s final report confirms illegal appointments in Sindh police

The inquiry committee formed on the basis of a Supreme Court order to look into allegations of illegal appointments in the Sindh police has submitted its final report that confirms unlawful postings have been made in the law enforcement force of the province from 2012 till 2015.

The committee was headed by Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, who is chief of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and has a PhD in law. It was assisted by Deputy InspectorGeneral of Police Naeem Ahmed Shaikh.

The final report submitted to the apex court states that in pursuance of the court order dated December 23, 2015, the committee started an inquiry into the appointments made in the Sindh police from 2012 to 2015 to fill positions of police constables (BS-5), junior clerks (BS-7) and above. It says that the committee has now completed the task after earlier presenting 11 interim inquiry reports pertaining to different units/branches/ranges of the police force.

The first interim report pertained to the Sindh Reserve Police (SRP), the second to the Training Branch, the third was about the T&T Branch, the fourth was related to the Karachi Range, the fifth pertained to the SAAB Training Centre, Hyderabad, the sixth was about the Hyderabad Range, the seventh pertained to the Mirpurkhas Range, the eighth interim report was on the Sukkur Range, the ninth pertained to the Larkana Range, the 10 was on the Shaheed Benazirabad Range, and the 11th pertained to Special Branch.

Copies of all these reports are said to have been sent to the National Accountability Bureau and the Sindh chief secretary for their perusal and further necessary action. Copies have been also submitted to Sindh Inspector General of Police AD Khowaja for further action against officers found involved in the illegal and irregular recruitment process as well as against those recruited in violations of the rules.

The final report says that it is pertinent to place before the apex court that during the period from 2012 to 2015, total appointments made in the abovementioned ranks were 19,360. Of them, 4,748 were found irregular and made in violation of the rules. The remaining candidates were found to have been recruited in a regular manner as per the available record.

The inquiry committee found that 44 officers of DSP and above ranks were responsible for the irregular recruitment, and 26 junior officers and ministerial staffers were also found to be involved in the irregularities committed.

A summary of the inquiry’s proceedings conducted by the committee has been attached to the report that has been submitted to the apex court.

NAB’s Sindh chapter is also conducting an inquiry and has already arrested five policemen, including a former senior superintendent of police, over these charges. Earlier, a NAB spokesman said that the bureau’s Karachi chapter arrested four police officials, including a deputy superintendent of police, in the illegal appointments case.

The police officials were taken into custody after the cancellation of their interim bail applications. On Tuesday, the Sindh High Court conducted a hearing regarding the bail pleas of former IGP Ghulam Haider Jamali, ex-SSP Ghulam Nabi Kerio and three other former officials accused of making the illegal appointments of 800 police constables in the Sindh Reserve Police (SRP), Hyderabad, which caused losses to the national exchequer to the tune of five hundred million rupees.

The NAB spokesman added that Jamali and Kerio had escaped the premises of the high court during the proceedings, but four other policemen — Sub Inspector Ghulam Raza, Sub Inspector Abdul Qadir, Sub Inspector Raja Ishtiaque and Deputy Superintendent of Police Mir Muhammad Dharejo -- were arrested.

Later, Kerio surrendered before the accountability court in Karachi after raids were conducted on his house and in Qasimabad, Hyderabad, and other possible hideouts. Raids have been conducted by NAB’s teams on the residences of Jamali in DHA Phase VIII in Karachi and Qasimabad, Hyderabad.