The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the demotion of 879 police officers who were promoted in Sindh through shoulder promotion in violation of merit and directed the Sindh IGP to appoint all of them to their previous designations within a week.
A two-member SC bench of Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Ghulam Rabbani was hearing applications of 34 superintendents of police (SPs) and other police officers against shoulder promotions that deprived them of their legitimate right to promotion. The court also directed the Establishment Division to submit the record today (Tuesday) pertaining to details of the correspondence so far made with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan inspectors general for filling vacant posts of senior officials. The applicants had told the court that there were still 24 police officers who were promoted by superseding 13 seniors.
On the last hearing, the court had summoned four provincial inspectors general of Police (IGPs), including the Islamabad IGP, to give details of the police officials who were promoted through shoulder promotions. On Monday, all except the Sindh IGP submitted that no case of shoulder promotion existed in their jurisdiction. Sindh IGP Wajid Durrani submitted that a total of 879 police officials were given shoulder promotions. Justice Javed Iqbal observed that the situation was alarming within the Sindh Police force, adding that the purpose of taking suo motu notice of the matter was not to demoralise police, but to protect legitimate rights of officials.
Downfall
He said out of turn promotions were the reason for the force’s downfall, as there was no ad-hoc promotions in service rules. Islamabad IGP Bani Amin told the court that there was no police official in the capital police who had been elevated through shoulder promotion, adding that there was no officer on special duty (OSD) in the capital police.
Punjab IGP Javed Iqbal told the court that there was case of shoulder promotion in the province, rather 47 SPs and 33 inspectors were demoted on SC orders. During the hearing, the court was informed that a large number of police officials were avoiding working in Balochistan due to the existing situation in the province and preferred to get transferred to other provinces using their contacts. The Balochistan IGP said five police officers were appointed recently in the province. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IGP Fayyaz Turo informed the court that most of the officers were trying to get posted in other provinces due to the worsening law and order in the province.
