LAHORE: The differences between the officers of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) and the provincial service have widened as both sides have expedited their correspondence with the federal and Punjab governments to have their issues resolved.

In new surprise move, the provincial service police officers have demanded that the Punjab government notify the pool / cadre strength of all posts from BS-7 to BS-22 which fall under its legal jurisdiction appertained to Punjab Police / Office in accordance with sanctioned budget.

They have requested the Punjab chief secretary to play his role to end discrimination towards the provincial service police officers and notify all the posts, seeking clarity about the total sanctioned posts of the police across the province.

The officers claimed that the police was still the attached department of the home department and all the posts ranging from constable to the inspector general of police fall within the domain of the ‘home department’.

A former superintendent of police (SP), Tahir Maqsood Chhena, took up this administrative issue with the Punjab chief secretary through a letter he wrote on the behalf of the provincial service police officers.

The move came when the Punjab police department forwarded a case of nearly 40 provincial police officers to the Establishment Division for their appointment to the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP).

“With due respect, it is to bring on record that the office of the Inspector General of Police, Punjab, is not an administrative department of the province of Punjab,” reads the letter written by Mr Chhena to the chief secretary.

He said the police were an attached department of the home department in line with the Punjab Government Rules of Business, 2011 framed under Article 139 of the Constitution. All the posts connected with the affairs of the Punjab police ranging from constable to inspector general of police fall within the domain of the home department, he said.

“The home department is custodian of all posts connected with the affairs of Police under articles 240 (b), 137, 121 read with provincial consolidated fund & Punjab finance acts,” he said.

The former SP said the Punjab province through the home department enjoys complete legislative, executive and financial authority on posts connected with the affairs of Punjab police as per the constitutional scheme of federation.

“Therefore, it is requested that the pool / cadre strength of all posts from BS-07 to BS-16 and BS-17 to BS-22 may be notified by the home department Punjab at earliest, which fall under its legal jurisdiction appertained to Punjab Police / Office of IGP (attached department) in accordance with sanctioned budget,” the letter further reads.

An official said the rankers were exerting pressure on the provincial government to streamline their promotions in Punjab being the provincial cadre officers to serve against the top slots occupied by the PSPs. He said they were struggling for the last few decades for implementation of the Rules of Business which have defined the promotion criteria of the provincial cadre officers.

The Punjab police department wants them to get promotions after joining the PSP cadre under the rules defined by the federal government.

Meanwhile, the federal government has approved the appointment of 44 police officers of the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan Railways police and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) in the rank of Superintendent of Police (BS-18) to the PSP.

A notification issued by the Establishment Division (ED) reads, “The establishment secretary has been pleased to approve appointment of these police officers to PSP in accordance with the rule 7 of the Police Service of Pakistan (Composition, Cadre and Seniority) Rules 1985, w.e.f Nov 18, 2021”.

According to notification, 29 officers of the provincial services were from Punjab, seven from Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, three from Gilgit-Baltistan, two each from Sindh and ICT and one from Pakistan Railways police.

The ED decision came when the IGP had recommended cases of 42 police officers of the provincial cadre to the Establishment Division for their appointment to the PSP cadre. Initially, the ED had refused to entertain the proposal of the IGP when 22 officers refused to join the PSP cadre.

Recently, the Division reviewed its decision when the IG asked it to reject the consent of the 22 provincial service officers and issued a notification of 44 officers to appoint them to the PSP. There are reports that some affected officers from Punjab have moved the Lahore High Court against the decision of the federal government for making their appointment against their will/desire.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2022