RAWALPINDI: Police have been facing attitude problem not only against junior officers but also against the senior command.

As a result, the Punjab police chief had to intervene with a proposal that departmental procedure was the best way to deal with such offenders.

Complaints about attitude problem against not only junior officials but also the senior command have been taken up by the inspector general of police (IGP).

After expressing his concern, the IGP directed the divisional police chiefs and city police officers to follow the departmental procedure to deal with the delinquent.

When a senior police officer was contacted, he told Dawn that the directives issued by the IGP did not seem to be specifically for the Rawalpindi police but a general instruction to all junior as well as senior officers to behave well with each other.

He said: “Senior officers are always directed not only to behave well with the public but also treat their juniors politely.”

A junior police official told Dawn that a senior officer, who had recently been posted to the district, used ‘abusive language’ against his juniors.

Due to his attitude, his junior staff always remained annoyed.

“There had been similar reports about the harsh attitude of a senior police officer against his juniors but he has now improved his behaviour after facing criticism from some quarters,” he added.

The Punjab police chief in his directive said: “Attitude problem is a general complaint not only against junior officers but also against the senior command.

“However, the departmental procedure is the best way to deal with it.”

Meanwhile, when a senior police officer was asked about the reason behind the suspension of the subdivisional police officer (SDPO) Gujar Khan, he said SDPO Assar Ali was suspended due to misconduct in connection with the death of a suspect in police custody.

Mohammad Ilyas, a driver, was picked by the police two weeks ago from his workplace and kept in a private ‘torture cell’.

He was found murdered in a green field of Gulyana area on the second day of Eidul Azha.

His killing allegedly by the police led to the registration of a murder case against a sub-inspector and others who are yet to be arrested.

However, a notification issued by the Punjab police department said SDPO Gujar Khan Assar Ali had been placed under suspension on account of misconduct/inefficiency and transferred to the Central Police Office, Lahore.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2019