KARACHI: Three major opposition parties in the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday demanded that the services of Inspector General of Police Dr Syed Kaleem Imam be retained until holding of local government elections in the province.

The three parties — the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) — met Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on Wednesday to discuss the much-publicised issue of the transfer of the Sindh IGP.

Later, they addressed a joint press conference in the Sindh Assembly building to brief the media about details of their meeting with Governor Ismail and to share new proposals for the services of the incumbent IGP in the province.

“We have prepared a set of proposals for the government but unfortunately the chief minister is not ready to even hear us,” said Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi.

“We have proposed to the governor to keep the office of the Sindh IGP unchanged till the local government elections. The elections of the local government are curial and everyone knows that police are the primary and key law-enforcement agency when it comes to transparent, peaceful and smooth polling. At this crucial stage, we don’t want any pocket IG. We want a thorough professional with a strong character,” he added.

Zulfikar Mirza alleges PPP always wanted to protect crimes and illegal businesses of its leaders

He said Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was “misusing” his powers and office as despite the opposition’s request and proposal he denied to have a meeting with the elected members of the Sindh Assembly, “humiliating” the mandate of the people of Sindh.

“Recent reports of the National Accountability Bureau and the release of the report of a joint investigation team pose a serious question over the role of our chief minister. We want all those unanswered questions to be heard and responded properly by the chief minister. His arrogance is not benefitting anyone,” said Mr Naqvi.

Former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza, who was once in the PPP and is now a part of the GDA, alleged that the PPP always wanted a “spineless police hierarchy” to protect crimes and illegal businesses of its leaders.

“This I claim with authority that Kaleem Imam is one of the most honest and thorough professional IG in Sindh’s history,” he said.

“I am a witness and victim of use of police by the PPP government for vendetta and victimisation of its opponents. I was booked in 15 FIRs in one day by the PPP government through its corrupt IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali. Even my workers and poor people of my community were not spared and sent behind bars. This whole exercise was actually planned and initiated by the PPP government but it was executed through police,” he added.

MQM-P’s Rashid Khilji and PTI’s Haleem Adil Sheikh also spoke.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2020