LAHORE: Punjab Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan has lifted the ban imposed on the transfers and postings of newly-promoted police inspectors across the province.

Imposed on Feb 4 this year, the ban was later flouted by some senior police officers who allegedly obliged some of the promoted inspectors with right connections, transferring them to stations of their choice.

The discrimination not only sparked a controversy with in the police department, but also drew media criticism, making the senior leadership of the police to review the ban.

The department had promoted 368 sub-inspectors all over the province to the rank of inspectors and transferred them to other regions and units in October and November last year for actualisation under a standing order of the provincial police officer (PPO).

Many of the inspectors were transferred to stations located hundreds of kilometer away from their native districts, causing problems for them and their families, a senior official told Dawn.

The official said, the transferred inspectors had to also face problems related to accommodation, transportation and food, causing a great deal of inconvenience to them.

He said the sudden transfer of hundreds of inspectors also caused administrative issues for the regional and district police heads, besides the senior command of Lahore police, when the Central Police Office (CPO) turned down their requisitions to re-allocate several inspectors to their previous stations.

On the other hand, he said, the CPO on the recommendation of some ‘influential people’ transferred some of the inspectors to their previous districts, putting a question mark on the transparency of the process.

The official added that some of the inspectors were transferred without even seeking the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the districts concerned.

Meanwhile, the issue was further highlighted when the CPO transferred some inspectors after imposition of the ban on Feb 4, violating its own decision.

He said that keeping in view all these anomalies, the IGP discussed the issue in a meeting, reviewed the decision and ordered lifting the ban.

A notification issued by the CPO reads, “The competent authority has lifted the ban on transfer/posting of newly promoted police inspectors with immediate effect”. However, the cases for transfer/posting of inspectors may be recommended after considering administrative exigencies as well as other related aspects, it said.

Following this, the IGP transferred over a dozen inspectors back to their previous stations and districts.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2022