LAHORE, July 30: A group of 29 Pakistani police officers who have recently been selected by the Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO) to serve under the United Nation Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is still waiting for the Pakistan's UN Mission to forward their approved case to the department, Dawn has learnt reliably.

These officers will have to return to Pakistan in a few days if DPKO does not receive their case till July 31, 2011.

Two letters, copies of which are available with Dawn, written separately by the interior and foreign affairs ministries to Military Advisor to Pakistan Mission to the UN Col Solat Anwar Rana on July 27, 2011, allowed the re-deployment/repatriation of UNPOL personnel currently serving under UNMISS.

The first letter written by Deputy Secretary (P-1) Nazir Ahmad of MoI states: “Referring to your fax message No Milty-16/4/2011, dated July 12, 2011 on the above subject, the ministries of interior and foreign affairs concur with the re-deployment/participation of Pakistani police officers in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and United Nation Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).”

The other letter with subject 'Nomination of Candidates for appointment in South Sudan,' issued by Assistant Director (UN-II) Mian Azmat Farooq of Ministry of Foreign Affairs states: “Reference Ministry of Interior's correspondence No 09/31/2011-Pol.I (3) dated July 18, 2011 on the above-cited subject--Ministry of Foreign Affairs concurs with the participation of Pakistan police officers in the UN Missions in South Sudan (UNMISS) and UNISFA.”

A police officer, who wished not be named, told Dawn by phone from Sudan that the Pakistan Mission initially did not object to the redeployment of police officers in South Sudan but now their case was stuck at the Mission because of unknown reasons.

He warned that the affected police officers would move the Supreme Court of Pakistan against 'discriminatory' attitude of the Pakistan Mission in this regard.

Another officer asked why the Pakistan Mission was not conveying the approval given by the federal ministry to the DPKO and how it could undermine the decision of prime minister and two ministries. The Pakistani prime minister had pledged full cooperation with regard to the UN mission in south Sudan.

When this reporter tried to contact Military Advisor Col Solat at his Pakistan Mission telephone number and also sent him an email seeking his version, he did not respond.