LAHORE: The recently-released seniority list of senior police officers serving all over the country and appointment of police chiefs of the three provinces highlight some disturbing facts about their service and promotion matters.

There are only 10 slots of grade 22 all over the country, including seats of IGPs of the four provinces, IGP of National Highways & Motorways, Director-General of National Police Academy, Director General of Federal Investigation Agency, Director-General of Intelligence Bureau, IGP of Azad Jamu & Kashmir and Secretary of Narcotics Control Division, Islamabad.

According to a senior official, a majority of the top officers dream of becoming police chief of any of the province, particularly Punjab, once during their service.

He said the seniority list released by the Establishment Division recently and the selection of IGPs of three provinces have triggered a debate in the police circles on the future of grade 22 officers. Dr Kaleem Imam was appointed as the IGP of Sindh, Mohammad Tahir of Punjab and Salahuddin Khan Mehsud of KP. They are in grade 21.

The seniority list discusses the current status of top 10 police officers of grade 22, 45 of grade 21 and 132 police officers of grade 20 with their dates of joining the service and retirement as well.

Of the 10 grade 22 police officers, Ihsan Ghani retired a couple of weeks back while Commandant of Frontier Constabulary, Peshawar, Liaqat Ali Khan will retire on 28th of this month.

From the other available eight police officers, only three, including Narcotics Control Division Secretary Arif Nawaz Khan, National Co-coordinator NACTA Mehar Khalid Dad Lak and Intelligence Bureau IG Mohammad Sulaman Khan have more than three-year service each before reaching the age of superannuation.

The official said since the top police slots of all the provinces have been occupied, the chances for the three police officers to work as IGP of any of the province are not so bright.

He said two other grade 22 officers --- National Police Bureau DG Shaukat Hayat and Iqbal Mahmood (awaiting posting) -- will retire next year (2019) while another grade 22 officer Sardar Abdul Majeed Khan belonging to Quetta has not been assigned any duty since Sept 2017 when he was made official of special duty (OSD).

There has been an increased demand by the senior police officers to enhance the grade 22 slots from present 10 to at least 15 to promote a maximum number of BS 21 police officers to the next grade.

Senior PSP officers have taken up the matter on several occasions at the Establishment Division and with other top hierarchy with a view that a majority of the police officers reached the age of superannuation in grade 21 despite serving in the same scale for two year or above -- a mandatory period to be eligible for promotion to grade 22-.

According to the seniority list, out of the 45 police officers of grade 21 working against various positions all over the country, many stand eligible for promotion to the next grade (by completing mandatory period of two years in the same grade).

Since only one grade 22 slot has fallen vacant on the retirement of Ihsan Ghani and another-one is likely on 28th of this month, there are immediately 14 eligible police officers of grade 21 awaiting promotions to the next grade.

Of these 14 senior police officers, Akthar Hassan Khan hailing from DG Khan retired last month after remaining OSD for a period of more than four years.

He was at the top of the seniority list of 45 police officers of grade 21, the official said. Mr Akhtar was promoted to BS 21 in 2011, making him eligible to get promotion in next top grade some seven years ago. “His retirement after serving in grade 21 for a long period is being considered as a test case for the authorities to review the current promotion system,” the official said.

Out of the other 44 grade 21 police officers, nine next senior officers are facing multiple issues, including inquiries under various charges, decreasing their chances to be considered for grade 22 promotion.

Similarly, two more police officers may not be considered for the same purpose as the Central Selection Board has twice deferred their cases for promotion owing to the pending inquires, incomplete ACRs and certain other reasons.

There are two police officers who lack field experience during their entire service career which is said to be important requirement for promoted to grade 22.

As a result, the chances of five next police officers of grade 21 increased for promotion to the next grade according to the number of vacant slots in case the Central Selection Board meeting is called by March 2019.

They included recently appointed Punjab IGP Mohammad Tahir, additional IGP of Karachi Range Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar, AJK IGP Shoib Dastgir, former additional IG of Special Branch, Punjab, Faisal Shahkar and Sindh IGP Dr Kaleem Imam.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2018