September 26, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 25, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 25: The posting of some officers at important and higher police posts has triggered a feeling in the police department that a fresh wave of political appointments/postings has begun in the city.

Recently DSP Aijaz Kumario was posted as SP Gadap, and reports suggest that the post of SP Bin Qasim may also fall to a political nominee.

Sources said DSP Kumario was recently posted as DSP Mehmoodabad but he declined the posting and his wait finally paid off. Former SP Irshad Sehar has gone on leave. His post was to be filled in by SP Naeem Shaikh. However, SP Shaikh was asked to wait for a few days. In the meantime notification was issued for DSP Kumario for SP Gadap.

Similarly, DSP Mohammad Wassan, recently promoted as SP, has replaced Ashfaq Alam as SP Site.

The post of DSP is of grade 17 and in the previous police set-up there were some small towns that were also designated as grade 17. But when the police set-up was re-organised and divided into three zones in the city, the post of town police officer of grade 17 was abolished and small towns were merged into other towns. Subsequently, police officers in grade 18 were supposed to head the towns as superintendents of police, a source explained.

Now posting a DSP (grade17) against the post of SP (grade 18) has sent a clear message to the police department that a new era of political postings has begun.

This posting will set a precedent for others political postings in the city as well in the province, feared a senior police officer.

Well-placed sources in the central police office told Dawn that DIG East A.D. Khawaja has submitted his reservations over the posting of DSP as SP Gadap town before Provincial Police Officer Sultan Salahuddin Babar Khattah.

Gadap Town is considered a sensitive but lucrative town for policing. Having a political posting in Gadap Town is a recipe for compromised policing.

Mohammad Ali Wassan has been promoted and posted as SP Site. Sources say Mr Wassan is a nephew of Manzoor Wassan, a member of the Sindh cabinet.

DIG South Iqbal Mehmood’s leave application has been approved by the Establishment Division.

He may soon proceed on a two-year leave. Sources said several officers were eying the DIG South post.

If political interferences continued at the present pace, the present lot of SPs and DIGs posted in the city would be history soon, a well-placed source said.