KARACHI, Nov 11 As a senate committee waits for a detailed report on out-of-turn promotions from the Sindh government, it has received a letter from unnamed officers, providing a list of more than 50 senior officers in the department promoted during the last five years in violation of the defined regulations.

A senior official confirmed that a letter containing names of 54 officers had been received a couple of days after the Senate's Standing Committee on the Interior had sought a list from the government, levelling serious allegations against the Sindh police's system of promotions.

“There is a list which has names some 54 officers who have got out-of-turn promotions from BPS- 17 to 19

under Section 9-A and Section 13 of the SCS (Probation, Confirmation and Seniority) Rules 1975,” he said, citing content of the letter.

“It alleges that most of the officers' names in the letter have been promoted twice or thrice on an out-of-turn basis, although granting promotion on an out-of-turn basis is itself a violation of and contrary to the principle of justice.”

He said the letter cited that competent officers of the department were being victimised using Section 13 of the Sindh Civil Servants (Probation, Confirmation and Seniority) Rules 1975, under which the authorities went on promoting the junior-most officers from time to time “mechanically, arbitrarily and unjustly”.

The senate committee inquiring into out-of-turn-promotions in the Sindh police, had last week found serious irregularities in the department and demanded a detailed report from the provincial government on the issue within 15 days.

The 11-member committee of senators had rejected the Sindh government report which named only seven officers who were awarded out-of-turn promotions, and came up with facts which reflected large-scale irregularities in the department and led to promotions of several officers mainly backed by political parties and personalities.

As the police authorities admitted that in some cases out-of-turn promotions had been awarded to police officers, a fresh debate on the subject at the federal level might prompt lobbying and use of clout by the quarters concerned to stall the move. The fresh interaction between the committee and officers, who were denied promotions, appears as a move in line with the same debate.

“In the light of defined rules, senior-most officers of BPS- 17 and 18 should be considered for the enactment of the Provincial Police Officers in the Police Service of Pakistan, but the Sindh police have sent a list of officers of BPS-18 only that consists of junior-most officers, which is a clear violation of Rule 7 of the Police Services of Pakistan (Composition, Cadre and Seniority) Rules 1985,” said the official citing the letter.

He said the letter alleged that the entire police structure of the province had been damaged by the out-of-turn promotions, as the junior officers had been elevated to command their seniors. The sense of deprivation within the senior ranks is vitiating the whole working environment.

The senate committee chairman had last week marked the Sindh police department, which stood out in that type of irregularities, as no such case had been reported in the Punjab police, and a very few complaints were registered in the NWFP.

“The ultimate solution to the problem will not only lead to reforms in the Sindh police, but also discourage elements from influencing the department for the promotions of their men,” said the official. “Otherwise, it will not only discourage competent officers, but also make such a practice a merit to progress in a very sensitive profession.”