KARACHI, Nov 12: The provincial police officer, Ziaul Hasan, on Monday got an extension of the contract for six months in a move that is aimed at ensuring that he remains in office for the entire year 2008.

A former army major, Mr Hasan got a six-month extension of the contract only a month back. Earlier, he was to retire in Dec 2007. He was posted as Inspector-General of the Sindh police in June 2007.

The two notifications have been issued by the Establishment Division.

Prior to his posting as the Sindh IG, Mr Hasan was commandant of the National Police Academy. He worked as Punjab IG from June 2005 to Dec 2006.

Former provincial police chief Jehangir Mirza retired in April 2007. The chief minister of Sindh told the media then that he had offered Mr Mirza an extension of the contract, but the top ranking police officer declined.

It is worth noting that that prior to his posting as the Sindh police chief, Mr Hasan had submitted an affidavit against the now deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry shortly after March 9 when the government had filed a reference against the country’s top adjudicator.

Sources said that submission of the affidavit helped Mr Hasan secure the coveted post of the Sindh IG much against the wishes of the ruling Muttahida Qaumi Movement. The Adviser to the Chief Minister on Home, Waseem Akhtar, was on record as having said that the next IG should be from Sindh and not from Punjab.

However, the MQM agreed to Mr Hasan’s appointment as Sindh IG in June 2007 because he was to reach the age of superannuation in Dec 2007.