LAHORE: Senior police officers in Punjab on Monday got new assignments after getting promotion from BS-19 to BS-20.

An officer privy to the information told Dawn that some senior officers, including a regional police officer (RPO), suffered a ‘major blow’ to their professional career when they came to know that they had been dropped from the promotion list. He said one of the major reasons for this development was ‘political victimisation.’

Most of these police officers were from the 24th, 25th and 26th Commons who could not get promotions despite serving the department for a long time.

He said there was a strong perception in the police circles that the Punjab Police Welfare DIG Waseem Sial (25th Common) was not considered for promotion as he had not given “safe passage” to the PML-N long march back in 2009. Mr Waseem was the SSP (Operations) at that time.

Some question promotion criteria

Almost same was the case with AIG (assistant inspector general) Operations Waqar Abbasi who could not get promotion. He is said to be a relative of a retired army official who had given tough time to the PML-N government during his (army officer) service.

The case of senior police officer from the 25th Common - Idrees Ahmad - surprised his colleagues when he was also not considered for promotion despite currently holding the slot of Bahawalpur DPO.

His colleagues attribute his case to political victimisation saying that Mr Idrees has a ‘spotless’ career.

Similarly, Counter Terrorism Department DIG Riaz Nazir Garah is said to be an efficient police officer. He is also senior most for being from the 24th Common. He was also not promoted to BS-20 on the same ground [‘political victimisation’], the official said.

He said Multan Regional Investigation Branch (RIB) SSP Multan Muhammad Salim and Pakpatan DPO Kamran Yusuf were also among those senior police officers who had good service record but were denied promotion.

He said Mr Salim `paid the price’ for he was not in good terms with a senior official in the prime minister’s secretariat due to certain reasons.

He said the record of these officers was thoroughly examined by the promotion board right from ASP to the current positions and no question was raised about their integrity, professionalism and competence.

About the transfers and postings of their colleagues who got promotions to BS-20, the official said, Police Welfare and Finance DIG Shoib Dastgir has been allowed to hold his current assignment.

According to a notification, DIG (Establishment) Azhar Hameed Khokhar has been transferred and posted as Additional IG Investigations.

Development AIG Kamran Khan has been posted as Legal DIG, Logistics AIG Hamayun Tarar has been transferred and posted as Special Branch Admin Security DIG, Okara DPO Faisal Ali Rana has been transferred and posted as Police Response Unit DIG, Lahore Security DIG Moin Masood has been allowed to hold his post, Gujranwala Special Branch SSP Afzal Butt has been transferred and posted as Elite Police DIG, Vigilance and Inspections DIG Shahzada Sultan has been allowed to continue with his current assignment upon promotion and Complaints AIG Khurram Ali has been transferred and posted as Establishment DIG.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2017