ISLAMABAD: A recent ‘operation cleanup’ in the lower echelon of the capital police has been challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Last month, about two-and-a-half dozen police officials faced disciplinary proceedings for alleged corruption, corrupt practices and facilitating criminals. Several officials were also demoted for serious allegations.

Interestingly, all the ‘corrupt’ officials, according to a report attached with the petitions, were rankers - constable to sub-inspector - and none of them was above grade 14.

In 2014, Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) officers made rankers scapegoat and suspended them after members of the Sikh community held a protest demonstration against the desecration of their holy book in Sindh and entered Parliament House after breaking the police cordon.

Rankers are those officials who are hired either as constable, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) or sub-inspector (SI) and are then promoted whereas PSP officers join the police after clearing the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination and are hired as assistant superintendent of police (ASP).

In the recent incident, disciplinary proceedings against low grade rankers started soon after Sultan Azam Temuri (PSP) assumed the charge of the inspector general of the police (IGP).

None of the officials charged with bribery, backing drug peddlers and other criminals is above grade 14

The officials faced the charges of corruption, taking bribe, backing drug peddlers, prostitution dens and pick-pocketing.

As per the police report, Inspector Sattar Shah, ASIs Mohammad Zafar Ratha, Sikandar Hayat, constables Shafique, Jahandad, Shams, Tayyab and Imran were allegedly facilitating prostitution dens in the capital.

SI Malik Mumtaz, Mohammad Shafique, Rafiullah, Umer Hyat, ASI Mohammad Saleem, Ashiq Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Arif, Tanvir Kayani, Liaqat Ali, constables Arshad Ali, Nasir, Mukhtar, Tariq, Munir, Zaheer Ahmed, Munir and Qamar Shah are allegedly corrupt and causing inconvenience to the citizens.

SI Ghulam Jilani and constable Ghazanfer were accused of protecting pick-pocketing while Inspector Sattar Shah and Ameer Ali Somoro allegedly backed drug peddling.

In March when the police authorities demoted the officials, some of them approached the IHC. However, they were asked to move the Federal Service Tribunal (FST).

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC, however, admitted a petition against the demotion of SI Mohammad Shafique and issued notice to the IGP and others.

The petitioner through his counsel Asif Ali Gujjar contended that he was on top of the seniority list for promotion. But senior officers in order to accommodate their blue-eyed officials deprived him of promotion.

According to the petition, after the initiation of disciplinary proceedings, SP Hasam bin Iqbal was assigned the task to probe the matter. However, Mr Iqbal found nothing incriminating against the petitioner as well as the other officials.

The petition requested the court to direct the police authorities to include his name in the seniority list and consider him in the upcoming meeting of the departmental promotion committee.

It also requested the court to set aside the order related to the demotion of the petitioner.

After issuing notices to the respondents, Justice Kayani adjourned the hearing till a date to be fixed by the registrar office.

Neither IGP Temuri nor SSP Najeebur Rehman Bugvi could be contacted for comments.

Acting SSP Liaqat Hussain Niazi said Mr Bugvi was on leave and would return next week. He said Mr Bugvi could provide relevant details about the case.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2018