Punjab Police Inspector General Habib-ur-Rehman has delayed the recruitment process in the Punjab Police department for unknown reasons due to which induction of 10,000 police personnel has been stopped. The induction process had been delayed after issuing of a circular while earlier August 24 was fixed as the last date for the submission of forms.
According to police circles, lawmakers made announcement in different ceremonies for the induction of thousands of policemen to overcome personnel shortage but in reality they only acted upon instructions issued by the bureaucracy. Police sources said that both Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif only restricted themselves to announcements but nothing serious had been done to overcome shortage of police force in the province.
Earlier, Rehman Malik had twice announced recruitment of 10,000 and 5,000 police personnel, but only 300 personnel had been inducted upon the orders of the Supreme Court in the federal capital.
The sources said that previously recruitment was delayed due to sizzling hot weather and the month of Ramadan but the present postponement was beyond their comprehension. It should be mentioned here that as per new policy, at least 50,000 constables were to be inducted during the next five years. According to the policy the total strength of police force would be upgraded to 230,000 by the end of 2016 against the existing strength of 170,000 cops. Earlier in June, Rehman had said that Shahbaz had given the approval for the recruitment of 10, 000 police constables every year in the Punjab police. He had also stated that the promotion board had held three meetings to promote DSPs to the rank of SPs after finalising the principles and removing the hurdles in consultation with all the stakeholders. He announced the promotion of several police officers, including DSPs of the executive cadre, the traffic and legal police.
He had said that various steps had also been taken for the promotion and welfare of police officers and constables and that a 15 percent quota has been fixed for the promotion of inspectors recruited directly in the force. Rehman had added that the three-year posting period for constables has been reduced to two years and that the funds set aside for the marriages of their children have also been increased. Replying to a question, the IG said a positive change is being brought in the thana culture by taking steps to ensure that the police behaves decently towards the citizens visiting the police stations for lodging their complaints.
Punjab Police is short of
230,000 men, which
is more than its total strength of 170,000
