KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the provincial authorities to complete the legislation regarding transfers and postings in the police department within four weeks.

A two-judge bench of the SHC headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi was hearing a contempt of court application against Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the then chief secretary for not complying with an earlier order of the SHC to draft new rules for setting the manner of transfers and postings in the police.

On Wednesday, the provincial authorities through a report informed the bench that the government had constituted a committee to frame police rules.

The counsel for applicants, Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, argued that the police rules had been sent to the cabinet thrice and maintained that the provincial government had not been complying with the Sept 7, 2017 judgement in the A.D. Khowaja removal case for one and a half years.

The bench expressed dissatisfaction over the report and directed the provincial authorities to complete the legislation regarding transfers and postings in the police department within four weeks and submit the compliance report.

The application seeking contempt proceedings against the chief minister and then chief secretary Rizwan Memon was filed by civil rights campaigners.

The counsel for the applicants submitted that on Sept 7, 2017 the SHC in its judgement in A.D. Khowaja removal case had issued dir­e­ctives to the IG to draft new rules for setting the manner of transfers and postings and submit the same before the provincial cabinet. He argued that the then IGP Khowaja had dra­ft­­ed new rules and sent the­m to the provincial cabinet.

He argued that despite court directives, the provincial government had failed to consider the drafted rules.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2019