LAHORE: Under the first rotation policy proposed for the lower-rank police officials, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police high-ups have sought, from Punjab and three other provinces, highly-trained young investigation officers (IOs) and constables.

The young IOs are to be posted in all the 21 police stations of Islamabad to complete investigation of the pending cases as their number has reached 12,670 since 2020, as no new recruitment was made in the federal capital’s police during the last four years or so.

In this regard, Punjab has been especially focused for having the largest police force.

The province had dispatched 2,500 personnel to the ICT ahead of the last long march staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in May, 2022.

600 constables also sought to overcome shortage of personnel

Similarly, the ICT police also sought transfer of five experienced deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) from Punjab to Islamabad.

An official privy to the development says that in the first such policy proposed by Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akbar Nasir Khan, the interior ministry has been requested to rotate junior-rank police officers of various provinces.

The IGP has also fixed the age limit for these junior officials that varies for different ranks.

For the sub-inspectors (SIs) sought for transfer to the ICT, the age limit is under 45 years, for assistant sub-inspectors it is under 40 and the constables must be under 35 years.

The official says the fresh and energetic trained staff is required to expedite completion of the pending investigation of a large number of cases to submit challans in the courts for improving the conviction rate which has dropped below 10 percent.

In the ICT police stations, the burden of cases has increased up to 80-100 for each investigation officer (IO), which should be 50 according to the police rules.

Consequently, in the ICT a large number of hardened criminals wanted by police are at large. As per the ICT police record, some 4,500 proclaimed offenders (POs) and 7,000 court absconders needed to be arrested in different cases lodged against them.

The official says that a majority of the constables in Islamabad police have exceeded 35 years of age and are not considered perfectly fit to deal with violent agitations in the federal capital and other hard duties.

Separately, the official says, the Islamabad IG has also sought approval from the interior ministry for the hiring of new constables as his force faces a shortage of some 2,000 officials in various junior ranks.

The ICT police have also demanded 85 sub-inspectors (SIs) and assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), besides 600 constables, from all the provinces for a period of three years as a stopgap arrangement, he adds.

Of the 600 constables, 250 have been sought from Punjab, 125 from Sindh, 75 from Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and 50 from Balochistan, he says, adding that these police officials will draw salary package of the ICT police on their posting in Islamabad, besides official accommodation, uniform and other resources.

He says the acute shortage of officials in the junior ranks has adversely impacted performance of most of the police stations of Islamabad, prompting the high-ups to seek help from Punjab and other provinces.

Recently, he says, the interior ministry has got released a Rs350 million grant for establishing a new hospital for Islamabad police, besides providing it with 500 constables from the Frontier Constabulary (FC).To a question, the official said, the ICT authorities would seek willingness of these police officials to serve in Islamabad before their transfers.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2022