LAHORE: The Punjab Police has finalised a list of 133 deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) for promotion to the next grade to fill 57 vacant slots of superintendents of police (SPs) across the province.

The cases of these DSPs are scheduled to be discussed in the promotion board meeting to be held tomorrow (Wednesday). This will only be the second promotion for many officers from the cadre in question during their 23-year service.

On the other hand, the assistant superintendents of police (ASPs), who joined the police department through the Central Superior Services (CSS) examinations, continued to enjoy timely, streamlined promotions, an official privy to the information told Dawn. Recently, he said, officers from the provincial police service expressed reservations over the discriminatory behaviour of being denied promotions.

The officers took a plea that top slots in the police department was dominated by the officers from the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), which was creating hindrances in the promotions of officers from the provincial service. They also conveyed to the top brass that over 55 slots of SPs were lying vacant in Punjab for several years, and instead of promoting DSPs, the federal PSP officers were given additional charges of more than one seat.

Many inspectors waiting for promotion for over two decades

Particularly, the official said, the officers recruited as inspectors directly in 1993 and 1995 were distressed after the department ignored their promotion from DSPs to SPs. These inspectors had been promoted only once during their over 20-year service, the affected officers claimed. They also argued that all the top slots in BPS-20, 21 and 22 were currently occupied by the officers inducted through CSS in Punjab.

However, he said, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Amjad Javed Saleemi called an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation. After detailed deliberations, the IGP decided to provide the aggrieved officers relief in recognition of their services. The abovementioned two batches of inspectors of 1993 and 1995 were part of the list of 133 candidates likely to be promoted.

The IGP Punjab will chair the promotion board tomorrow while the home secretary, the additional home secretary, the additional inspector general of police (establishment) and deputy inspector general (DIG) of police establishment-I would be its members.

The official further said that the IGP had sought annual confidential reports, reports from senior police officers under whom the candidates had worked as well as from sensitive agencies to help decide the promotion cases.

Out of the 57 vacancies of SPs, most were part of the investigation wing of the police all over the province.

The major cities where the dearth of officers was felt included Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi besides small districts, including Layyah, Mianwali, Mandi Bahauddin and Narowal.

The official said that the promotion board will submit its recommendations to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for final approval.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2018