LAHORE: The police department, for the first time, has blacklisted 16 station house officers of the provincial capital for having ‘tainted’ record and banned their appointment as SHOs in three major wings of the city police, including operations and investigation, during their entire service.

In a related development, a list of 119 sub-inspectors from various other wings was made to consider them as ‘fresh blood’ for their appointment as new SHOs to change ‘thana culture’ in the provincial capital.

The move aimed at bringing about replacement of SHOs of all the 84 police stations of the city who were getting postings repeatedly during a decade or so despite being [allegedly] involved in corruption, land grabbing, backing drug mafia and for having links with the gangs of criminals.

The record of the police officials getting posting as SHO in Lahore was obtained on the directions of Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh.

CCPO shortlists 18 SIs having ‘unblemished’ career for posting as SHOs

Recently, the crime prevention appeared as a challenging task owing to an increase in the incidence of robbery, vehicle snatching theft and land grabbing.

The record showed that the persistent increase in the crime rate is mostly associated with the [frequent] appointment of ‘corrupt’ SHOs.

An official told this reporter that the case of a police official who got himself posted as SHO for more than 20 times at various police stations of the city during his 15-year service, shocked the decision-makers.

He said the police official managed to get himself posted SHO [repeatedly] despite being sacked many times on various charges including corruption.

He was so much influential that he used to get himself reinstated on his position.

The record showed that a majority of the SHOs of 84 police stations got postings for more than 10 times even after they were dismissed, suspended or transferred on multiple charges [following inquiry].

Finding too many such cases in the city, the police department finally prepared a list of 16 SHOs.After putting them in the category of ‘blacklisted SHOs’, the Lahore CCPO issued directions to the Operations DIG to put a complete ban on their appointment/transfer in three wings.

Similarly, the CCPO interviewed 119 sub-inspectors of various wings, including Dolphin Force, security division, anti-riot force, to consider them for appointment as SHOs.

These police officers were those having ‘unblemished’ career and had never been posted as SHO.

Under the new policy, these SIs would be replaced by the frequently posted SHOs in the city.

The CCPO [after interviews] shortlisted 30 of them in the first phase to give them the new assignment.

These 30 officials further underwent scrutiny and interview process by a team of expert police officers, headed by the CCPO Lahore.

Of them, 18 qualified for appointment as SHOs and their cases were forwarded to Lahore Operations DIG Ashfaq Ahmad Khan.

Mr Khan was given mandate being head of the Lahore operations police for their appointment as SHOs in days to come.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2020