PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani has asked the provincial government to enhance the basic pay scales of the constables, head constables and assistant sub-inspectors to fill the vacuum created by the loss of so many personnel in these ranks who had laid down their lives in the fight against terror.

The request has been made in pursuance of the provincial government’s vision of enhancing the pay scales of non-gazetted officials serving in the provincial government.

According to details, the police department in an official summary sent to Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had proposed that the post of ASI be upgraded from BPS-9 to BPS-12, head constable from BPS-7 to BPS-9 and 10 per cent of the total sanctioned posts of constables from BPS-5 to BPS-7.

IGP says move to improve overall police efficiency

It was stated that during the past seven years as many as 815 personnel of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police had laid down their lives in the fight against terrorism and another 1,787 personnel were injured. Majority of these heroes of the province and the police department were the jawans from the ranks of constable, head constable and ASI.

It was stated that despite the invaluable services rendered by the rank and file of the department during the ongoing fight against terrorism no government had focused on enhancing their scales as was evident from the fact that these pay scales were last revised some 25 years ago in 1990.

Owing to the limited number of seats in the next rank a majority of constables serving in the police department fails to get promoted throughout their careers despite having qualified the requisite promotion courses and exams.

This enhancement of pay scales for 10 per cent seats of constables would be a big incentive for the backbone of the force i.e. the constabulary. Likewise, a head constable serving in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa undergoes a very different training regime and is expected to perform duties as a supervisory officer in challenging circumstances. Due to such expectations from a head constable it is only fair that their pay scales be enhanced so as to encourage them for performing their duties with devotion.

The rank of ASI, a large majority of which is inducted through competitive examinations of the Provincial Public Service Commission, is pivotal one in the force as the officers inducted in this rank are the future field commanders.

The officers serving in ASI rank can thus prove to be a real change agent towards the improvement of the department’s working. The enhancement in the pay scale for the rank of ASI has therefore been proposed with a view to attract educated human resource.

The proposal sent by the police department for enhancement in the pay scales of the said ranks, if approved, will go a long way in encouraging these brave sons of the province who are pitted against the terrorists and extremists.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2015

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