RAWALPINDI: Following the directives of the Supreme Court, the city police officer (CPO) demoted 197 police officials by withdrawing their out-of-turn promotions and submitted a report to the Inspector General (IG) of Police Punjab on Wednesday.

Under Police Rules 1934, a board led by IG Police decides on the promotion of officials in lower ranks. Promotions of officials in higher ranks are decided by the Establishment Division.

All the 197 demoted officials were promoted out-of-turn without appearing before the IG Police-led board and were promoted by the then senior superintendent of the police.

The officers have been demoted to the same rank on which they were serving at the time of their out-of-turn promotions.

Among the demoted officials was a woman police official who was promoted out-of-turn by the then CPO Rawalpindi in 1997 after she secured first place in a recruitment class course at the Police Training Institute.

One police official was recruited as a constable but was later promoted as head constable in 1982. He was serving as an Inspector in Kasur district. He will be demoted back to the rank of constable.

Among the demoted officers is an inspector, seven sub-inspectors, three assistant sub-inspectors, 68 head constables and 118 constables.

Talking to Dawn, City Police Officer Israr Ahmed Abbasi said: “All the 197 police officers who had been listed as ‘promoted out of turn’ have been withdrawn from their ranks and demoted.”

The CPO said there had been no other options than to follow the directives of the Supreme Court, though the move will create problems because all the officials who have been demoted were efficient and hard working.

The CPO said that any officer who is promoted out of turn from now onwards should consider himself automatically demoted to his original rank.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2016