ISLAMABAD: A tug of war between the bureaucracy and the Islamabad Inspector General of Police over rules governing the capital police has started again after the interior ministry declared the promotion of grade 17 officers to grade 18 by the IGP null and void.

As a result, the career of several ex-cadre police officers of the capital is also hanging in balance. According to a letter issued by the Ministry of Interior, it had been informed that the IGP had promoted officers from BS-17 to BS-18 in May 2023 without any legal authority and in clear violation of instructions issued by the Establishment Division and the controlling ministry.

“I am directed to convey that the competent authority has taken cognisance of the above-mentioned irregularity and the same has been declared null and void,” the letter said, adding that further necessary action may be taken accordingly.

The IGP promulgated the Police Order 2002 in the capital last year, but so far a notification has not been issued by the authorities concerned. The order also has not been approved by the president or parliament. After the promulgation of the Police Order, the police chief has been issuing orders and taking decisions in light of this order, but only to the extent of his department.

In 2023, several grade-16 (inspector) and grade-17 (Deputy Superintendent of Police) officers were promoted to grade-17 and grade-18 (Superintendent of Police) through the Departmental Promotion Committee constituted under the Police Order 2002, by the IGP, said officials.

Letter says officers promoted in clear violation of instructions issued by Establishment Division

It may be noted that the disagreement between the Islamabad chief commissioner and the police chief over rules governing the capital police amplified in June after the former approached the interior ministry seeking its intervention to settle the matter regarding the police rules.

The chief commissioner’s office and the Accountant General Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) have, however, taken exception to his decisions and asked the IGP to follow the Police Rules.

In a similar vein, the commissioner’s office in June also asked the ministry to issue necessary instructions regarding the law, policy, and procedures, said officials, adding that the ministry was also requested to declare the IGP’s “unlawful” decisions null and void.

Sources said the IGP chaired a meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee for the promotion of the DSP to the SP on June 2 despite the objections raised by the commissioner’s office on June 1.

The commissioner’s office had asked the IGP office to work under the Police Rules and get the officers promoted through the DPC of the interior ministry, the officials said, adding that the police chief exercised the powers given in Police Order 2002 and conducted the DPC proceedings.

The joint secretary of the ministry and a representative of the commissioner’s office did not attend the meeting held under the Police Order 2002 despite the request of the IGP office, the officials added.

It is pertinent to mention that the departmental promotion/selection committees for the posts of BPS-17 and BPS-18 in Islamabad police had already been notified by the interior ministry on April 3 after the consent of the Establishment Division.

The cases for promotion of DSP to SP were required to be forwarded to the ministry for consideration by the DPC and the Departmental Selection Committee (DSC) headed by the additional secretary, the letter said.

According to the letter, it was also brought to the notice that the IGP had reconstituted the DP/SC for promotion of ministerial staff up to BS-16 without approval from the competent authority and a DPC meeting in this regard was convened on May 31, 2023.

In light of these decisions, the ministry was asked to issue necessary instructions regarding the observance of the law, policy, and procedures, the letter said, asking it to void the decisions taken by the IGP without observance of the law.

The officials said the AGPR had also asked the IGP to send pension cases of retired ex-cadre officials with the approval of the interior secretary under the Police Rules. However, the police continued to send these cases with the signature of the IGP under the Police Order 2002.

In February, the IGP appointed DIG Awais Ahmed as the DIG Operations under the Police Order 2002. But the chief commissioner rejected the order and appointed another officer Shahzad Nadeem as the DIG Operations under thePoliceRules.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2024