CM approves model police stations, upgraded pay scale, transgender persons’ quota

In extraordinary decisions to reform the police force in the province, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday approved establishment of model police stations, upgrade in the pay scale of policemen, creation of a Ghazi cadre and a special quota for transgender persons in the government service, including police.

The CM took these decisions while presiding over a high-level meeting on police matters at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Kaleem Imam, Home Secretary Kazi Kabir, Personal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Additional IG Training Aftab Pathan, Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi and senior officers posted at the Central Police Office.

Murad said he had boosted the morale of the police force by strengthening them with latest weapons and gadgets and providing incentives to them so that they could perform with honesty and dedication.

The IGP briefed the CM about various proposals for introducing reforms from top to bottom in the police department. The Karachi additional IG told the CM that there were 108 police stations in the city and many of them were established on nullahs, due to which there was no need to continue with them.

Model police stations

The CM said two police stations located within the same periphery of the city should be merged together and declared the model police station. He approved the establishment of a model police station in the city in the first phase by amalgamating the Boating Basin Police Station into the Clifton police station.

The new police station would have a senior SHO with powers of a DDO (drawing and disbursing officer). He would be given a revolving fund of Rs50,000 to meet day-to-day expenditures of the police station, which would also have an accountant to keep the record of expenditures and when the fund would deplete, money would again be deposited in the account.

The CM directed the additional IG to post sufficient personnel of the police of good reputation at the police station.

Memon told the CM that he needed new vehicles for the model police stations. The CM approved his request and said if the experiment of the first model police station turned out successful, the government would establish other model police stations in the city.

Ghazi cadre

The IGP informed the CM that there were 2,000 policemen who had been maimed or blinded in the line of duty. The CM directed the police chief to prepare a working paper for the provincial cabinet and create a separate cadre of Ghazis on the pattern of the Shaheed Cadre.

“The government will give them ample amount to lead a respectable life with their families and will also give them jobs in the police department,” Murad said and added that taking care of the policemen who had lost their physical capabilities in the line of duty was the responsibility of the government.

Pay scale

The CM was informed by the IGP that the constables, head constables and ASIs in the Sindh police belonged to the grades BS-5, BS-7 and BS-9 respectively while the same police posts in Punjab were of grades, BS-7. Bs-9 and BS-11. To this, the CM said he was approving the proposal to promote the grades of policemen in Sindh to bring them on a par with their counterparts in Punjab.

The CM directed the IGP to prepare a summary and send him for his formal approval in this regard. “Why should our policemen remain in lower cadre and suffer?” he asked.

Selection centres

Dr Imam told the CM that around 8,000 to 10,000 policemen retired every year from their service. He added that there were 30,000 vacant positions of policemen all over Sindh.

To this, the CM directed him to establish a permanent selection centre where recruitment of police force should continue round the year. He also instructed the IGP to ensure that local residents of the area were recruited wherever the vacancies existed.

Transgender quota

The CM said the transgender community comprised the most ignored and neglected members of society. The government must allocate a reasonable quota for the recruitment of transgender people in all the government departments, including the police, he asserted.

He directed the chief secretary to prepare a working paper for the cabinet so that jobs could be allocated for the transgender community. “I want to bring the transgender people to the mainstream,” he said, adding that he was committed to educating and training the transgender persons so that they could become useful members of society.

He also urged non-governmental organisations to educate the transgender persons so that they could serve at government posts. Shah also directed the chief secretary to make necessary amendments in the rules so that the transgender community could be allowed to compete even in open competitions for the government service.

Jamshoro range and guards

The CM was told that there was a dire need of the creation of a police range for Jamshoro and other districts. The proposed Jamshoro police range would include Jamshoro, Dadu, Thatta and Sujawal districts. The CM approved the proposal and directed the IGP to float a summary for the cabinet in this regard.

The CM also pointed out that a large number of police guards had been deployed for the security of unauthorised persons. He directed the home secretary to notify a threat assessment committee to ensure that police guards were only provided to those who had a genuine need.

Murad further directed the IGP to allow police guards to unauthorised persons only if they paid their salaries. The police chief assured the CM that they would start withdrawing the facility of police guards from the unauthorised people.

IGP’s empowerment

The CM also decided to empower the IGP regarding promotions, transfers and postings in the provincial police service.

The IGP said he was the secretary of the police department under the new police law introduced in the province, to which the CM directed him to prepare a working paper and bring it in the next cabinet meeting. “We are ready to strengthen the IG police by entrusting powers to him that were never given to him before,” the CM said.