April 15, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 26, 1428

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LAHORE, April 14: Expressing satisfaction over the progress made with regard to bringing postings and appointments in line with the Police Order 2002, the Lahore High Court has asked the Punjab government to do more in this regard.

The court has given the directions after the submission of a report by the Punjab government regarding creation of new ranks and posts in the police department to bring the postings and appointments in accordance with the police order.

A detailed order of the LHC’s full bench hearing petitions into murder of two lawyers was issued on Thursday evening, which said: “We have heard Punjab home secretary qua the appointments. We express our sense of satisfaction over the progress made so far and expect that the entire framework would be brought in line with the Police Order in not too distant future.”

The court, during the proceedings of the petitions, had taken up the issue of postings and appointments, observing that most of these were made on the basis of favouritism and the police order had not been implemented comprehensively.

The Punjab government report says that Lahore will be headed by an additional IG to be assisted by two DIGs, as many SSPs and 22 SPs, besides other personnel. But, in practical terms, there is only one DIG (investigation) and one SSP (operations) working in Lahore.

The report does not explain whether the other DIG will head the operations wing, which at present is headed by an SSP. Similarly, it is also not clear in the report as to where will the other SSP be posted ie operations or investigation wing. Previously, when the court questioned the posting of then SSP (investigation) Chaudhry Shafqaat Ahmad, he was made an OSD by the Punjab government.

The incumbent Lahore Capital City Police Officer, Additional IG Malik Muhammad Iqbal, too, had been appointed when the court had questioned the posting of his predecessor, DIG Anwar Virk.

The Lahore CCPO, when appeared before the court on Thursday, was directed to gear up efforts to bring crime down, although the full bench appreciated steps taken so far by the Lahore police in this regard. It (the appreciation) should not furnish a cause for the police to become complacent, the court order added.

The readjustment and re-designation of police ranks have brought changes in the existing police hierarchy, creating four new posts of City Police Officer (CPO) in urban areas and seven of Regional Police Officer (RPO) for the whole province. Grade 20 and 21 officers have been posted to head the re-designated offices.

The CPOs have been appointed in Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan. Four posts of grade 20 and 21 in regions, including Sheikhupura, Rawalpindi, DG Khan and Bahawalpure, had been filled, while officers were still holding additional charges in the remaining regions, Gujranwala, Sargodha and Multan, added the report.

However, the report does not mention any changes with regard to the postings of District Police Officers (DPOs), which, otherwise, is considered to be an office usually filled on the basis of favouritism. Prior to the creation of new police ranks and offices, there were reports that grade 19 officers would be appointed DPOs. However, the Punjab government report says that there are 21 DPOs in grade 18 and six in grade 19.

According to a Punjab government official, the grade 19 DPOs include Ehsan Mehboob (Gujrat), Arif Nawaz (Bahawalpur), Amjad Javaid Saleemi (Jhang), Zafar Abbas Bukhari (Bahawalnagar) and Dr Muhammad Shafiq (Sheikhupura).

He added quoting official record that there were 42 BS-19 police officers (mainly PSP) in Punjab. But, a majority of these officers was working against `less important’ posts. Four officers had been made OSDs, the official said.

The BS-18 PSP DPOs are, Omer Sheikh (Sargodha), Rai Muhammad Tahir (Muzaffargarh), Mohsinul Hasan (Rajanpur), Muhammad Inkisar Khan (Dera Ghazi Khan), Zubair Nawaz Chattha (Sialkot), Salman Rana (Jhelum), Sultan Ahmad Chaudhry (Rahim Yar Khan), Bilal Siddique Kamyana (Narowal), Faran Beg (Okara), Waqar Abbas (Hafizabad), Akhtar Abbas (Mandi Bahauddin), Muhammad Salim (Bhakkar), and Shahid Hanif (Khanewal).

The promoted provincial service officers working as DPOs include Raja Munawwar (Toba Tek Singh).