KARACHI, June 3: A command crisis cropped up in the police department on Thursday after the city police chief, Asad Ashraf Malick, refused to relinquish his post.

Well-placed sources closed to the CCPO said Mr Malick did not receive a copy of the Sindh government notification about his removal.

A decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting, presided over by the Sindh chief minister, on Wednesday. Mr Malick, the sources said, remained present in his office on Thursday. Mr Malick would hand over the charge as and when he receives a notification in this regard, the sources close to the CCPO said.

The Sindh chief secretary, vide a notification (No. SOIII(SGA&D) POL-6-XI/2004) on June 2, directed the DIG (Operations) Tariq Jamil, to assume the additional charge as Additional Inspector General of Police/Capital City Police Officer Karachi with immediate effect until further orders.

The notification said that Mr Malick had been transferred with immediate effect and directed to report to the SGA&D for further orders. While Mr Jamil received a copy of the notification, Mr Malick did not, and both the officers continued to work as city police chiefs, which created a 'command crisis' in the police department, the sources said.

Another notification issued on the same day stated that Mr Malick had been granted a 60-day leave on his own request. However, a copy of this notification was also not received by the office of Mr Malick either, the sources said.

Mr Malick held meetings with DIGs and other senior police officers while the acting police chief, Mr Jamil, also issued directives to the police force as city police chief which created a lot of confusion in the police department.

An SP rank official, on condition of anonymity, said that there was a complete chaos as to whose orders be obeyed. Another official said that former TPO Saddar Dr Sanaullah Abbasi was looking after the charge of the TPO Clifton as Munir Shaikh is hospitalized since he received injuries in a blast in front of PACC.

Since the transfer of Mr Abbasi, officials in Clifton Town are in a quandary and they do not as to who was their commanding officer. "I have never seen such a perplexing situation in the police department," a PSP officer said.