IGP diffuses legal bombshell

• Islamabad IGP has offered ex BDS director a new post for withdrawing case against son’s appointment

A petitioner who had challenged the Inspector General of Pakistan (IGP)’s son’s appointment as Bomb Disposal Squad Director in the court has been offered a job especially created for him to save the IGP’s son’s appointment.

Sources said that top police officials have reached a settlement with the petitioner, former Islamabad Bomb Disposal Squad Director Major (R) Muhammad Tabassum over his challenge in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to the Islamabad IGP Bani Amin’s son, Umar Amin’s appointment to the major’s post.

Muhammad Tabassum is being asked to withdraw the case, in exchange for a grade-18 post in Islamabad police, being created especially to adjust him.

Sources revealed that the petitioner’s and IGP’s common friends have been playing an important part in mediating the settlement, and on Tuesday, the petitioner paid the IGP a long visit at his office.

According to a source at the IGP office, “the visit itself evidences a patch-up. Usually, petitioners do not meet defendants. In this case, the petitioner is being entertained as a special guest, so it indicates that an agreement has been reached.”

The petitioner, while talking to Pakistan Today over the telephone neither confirmed nor denied this new development, saying merely, “I am at the IGP office currently then I have to go to the chief commissioner for my appointment. The Interior Ministry is the final authorityas they will issue my appointment letter.”

Major (R) Muhammad Tabassum served as Islamabad BDS director for seven years till March 2013 when his contract was not extended by the IGP and he was replaced with Umar Amin, who has only a week’s experience. The petitioner told the court that he had been appointed on a competitive basis.

Major Tabassum is internationally renowned for handling explosives and has represented Pakistan on various international fora, delivered lectures on the subject and authored a book titled “Bomb Disposal Squad.” He has 27 years of bomb diffusing experience under his belt and maintained that he was fully capable of serving as BDS director on a permanent, not contractual, basis.

The petitioner’s counsel contended that Amin’s appointment in the major’s stead was against the prescribed recruitment rules as it was motivated by vested interest, and he was ineligible and inadequately qualified for the post.