KARACHI: Three senior officers of the Sindh police on Monday filed a petition in the Supreme Court against newly appointed Inspector General of Police A. D. Khowaja and Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, seeking their repatriation to their respective parent departments.

The petitioner officers — Additional IG Khadim Hussain Bhatti, DIG-South Dr Jamil Ahmed and Additional IG Fida Hussain Shah — stated in the petition that IGP Khowaja belonged to the foreign services group and Addl IG Abbasi was from the income tax group.

They said that the two officers got their cadre changed on the orders of a former prime minister, which was a violation of the apex court’s order on the officers on deputation.

The petitioner asked the court to initiate action against the two officers as their induction in police department was tantamount to contempt of court.

Meanwhile, IGP Khowaja assumed his new responsibilities on Monday, said a statement.

“After assuming the charge at the Central Police Office, the IGP chaired a meeting,” said a police spokesman. “The meeting was attended by DIG-Establishment Muzaffar Sheikh, DIG-T&T Imran Yaqoob Minhas, DIG-Admin Karachi Dr Ghulam Sarwar Jamali, DIG-Finance Sultan Khawaja, DIG-Headquarters Zulfiqar Larik, DIG-Training Iqbal Dara, AIGs of the establishment, welfare, operations, logistics, estate and management and director of the information technology.”

The new IG urged the officers to carry out their professional responsibilities in the light of police rules and laws.

It was decided at the meeting that those employees sacked for their involvement in criminal cases should not be restored as the Sindh police did not need such policemen.

“It is the need of the hour to ensure people-friendly environment at every level in order to improve the performance of the police department and no negligence and carelessness will be tolerated,” the IGP said. “The administrative and financial affairs should be made better, besides making operational and investigative steps transparent and impartial. The compensation amount should be paid immediately to the families of policemen killed in the line of duty. All affairs in this regard should be made easy.”

Later in the evening, IG Khowaja called on Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad at Governor House and briefed him on the overall law and order situation in the province.

“The role of police in maintaining law and order in Sindh is immense and it has also played a vital role in the Karachi operation,” said a Governor House’s statement quoting Dr Ibad as saying during the meeting.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2016