IGP Sindh replacement crisis continues: I will not be transferred so easily, asserts Kaleem Imam

KARACHI: The week-long rift between the Sindh government and the Sindh Police that was believed to have ended after Prime Minister Imran Khan's 'green signal' to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for replacing ithe incumbent IGP Sindh further escalated after the IGP Sindh Dr Kaleem Imam asserted on Tuesday that he will remain the IGP Sindh.

However, soon afterward, the IGP Sindh played it down and said that 'he was just joking'. The top police officer was addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Sindh Police Martyrs Memorial at the Central Police Office (CPO).

"A big conspiracy has been hatched against me and the impression is being given that I have already been transferred and even this event has been converted into a farewell ceremony. So first of all, I will not go so easily. I will go in line with my fate and when I will go, it will not be a transfer but in fact, it will be a new evolution. I will transcend to a new level," he said.

"The Sindh Police might be trying to save money for my farewell address if and when I am transferred; if I go, my worth will not diminish, don't worry," he said. It looks that the week-long rift has not yet ended, just taken a different turn. The Sindh government opened the salvo against IGP Kaleem Imam by accusing him of not performing satisfactorily and it was countered by leaking into public secret police reports against Sindh ministers carrying startling allegations. Nothing, however, came officially from Dr Kaleem Imam himself, but on Tuesday he broke his silence.

Interestingly, soon after the electronic media aired the IGP’s statement, asserting that he will remain the IGP Sindh, the top cop took a U-turn and as an afterthought said: “I was just kidding with the officers when I used this word conspiracy,” he clarified in a statement issued to the media. He went on to say that “The way the officers addressed the ceremony it appeared more like my farewell.” The IGP further clarified that he had actually told the officers that the event has been changed into his farewell ceremony "as a conspiracy." Imam then blamed the media for running his statement without context, "calling it shabby behaviour."

After the Monday's meeting between the prime minister and provincial chief minister at the Governor's House, it looked as if the crisis has ebbed since the prime minister had responded positively to Sindh chief minister’s request for replacing the incumbent IGP and the name of the former Additional IGP Karachi, Mushtaq Mahar, was on the top of the list as his replacement.

Meanwhile, a meeting was held at the Sindh Chief Minister's House, chaired by CM Murad Ali Shah. Shah also briefed the ministers about his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. He maintained that the prime minister assured him of replacing the IGP and was told that notification to that effect would be issued today (Tuesday). The ministers, however, expressed reservations over the delay in the appointment of the new IGP despite the prime minister’s assurance. Information Minister Saeed Ghani, Adviser to Chief Minister of Sindh on law Murtaza Wahab, provincial ministers Imtiaz Shaikh and Ismail Rahoo also attended the meeting.