Assigning probe against two SSPs to Punjab Police officer: Sindh govt says IGP’s complaint to ED is violation of rules

KARACHI: As the Establishment Division (ED) assigned the inquiry against two Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) of the Sindh Police on the complaint of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sindh, to a senior police officer of Punjab Police, the Sindh government has approached the ED to revoke the issue by declaring the complaint of the IGP as in contradiction of rules.

Earlier in June 2020, IGP Sindh Mushtaq Mahar had issued an explanation and showed his displeasure over two former SSPs Kamran Nawaz Panjotha and Asad Raza, of Shikarpur and Kandhkot-Kashmore districts, for their act of awarding a police award for peace to Sardar Tegho Khan Teghani, a local tribal lord of the Larkana Division, and asked officially the Establishment Division, Islamabad, for departmental action against both the police officers.

Both the police officers were then removed from their posts and their services were placed in the Foreign Security Cell, Karachi. Sardar Tegho Khan Teghani is on a bail in a case of patronising dacoits.

Sources in Sindh Police informed The News that the matter remained pending for many months at the ED but as the departmental legal proceedings were initiated against the said police officers, the Sindh government’s high-ups first insisted IGP Mahar withdraw his complaint written to ED but he refused. Then the Sindh government itself approached the ED, declaring the IGP’s letter against the rules.

Earlier, in June 2020 when the pictures of SSP Shikarpur Kamran Nawaz Panjotha and SSP Kashmore-Kandhkot Asad Raza giving peace award to Tegho Teghani went viral on the social media, Rao Ahmad Shafi, son of martyred DSP Rao Shafi, who was martyred by dacoits in the Shikarpur area, approached the Sindh High Court, the Supreme Court and higher police authorities through a letter complaining against awarding a police award for peace to Sardar Tegho Khan Teghani, describing that Teghani is patronising dacoits.

IGP Mahar took notice of the complaint of the son of the martyred DSP and asked the ED for further departmental action against both the police officers. It is pertinent to mention here that the inquiry against these two officers earlier was conducted by Sindh Police officer DIG Zulifqar Larak, who gave them a clean chit and termed the issue routine matter.