RAWALPINDI: As many as 1,386 Rawalpindi police personnel were awarded major and 1,060 minor punishments over various complaints, including abuse of power, as part of the internal accountability of the police from January 1 to December 30, 2024.

The major punishments included dismissal from service, reduction in ranks, salary and compulsory retirement. The minor punishments were forfeiture of service, reduction in pay scale, stoppage of increment, censure and stoppage of promotion.

The officials who were awarded various punishments were found guilty of misconduct, abuse of power, poor performance, facing criminal cases, human rights violations and other charges.

As many as 20 police personnel were awarded major punishment, 28 were awarded minor punishments, including dismissal from service by City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani.

Action taken against personnel for misconduct, abuse of power, says official

Police sources said that 1,386 police personnel who were awarded major and minor punishments were in the ranks of Inspector, Sub-inspector, ASI, Head Constables and Constables posted in different wings such as the CPO office, SSP operations office, SSP investigation, SP Rawal, SP Saddar, SP Potohar, SP headquarters, SP CIA and the SP security.

The number of officials in the rank of inspector awarded major punishments by the CPO was four while 19 inspectors were awarded minor punishments.

Besides, 85 sub-inspectors were awarded major punishments, 288 minor punishments, 183 ASIs awarded major punishments and 492 minor punishments, 32 head constables awarded major punishment while 202 minor punishment. Likewise, 22 constables were awarded major punishments and 326 minor punishments.

The highest number of police officials awarded major punishments was 85 in all ranks. As many as 157 officials with minor punishments were associated with the investigation wing.

Moreover, 71 officials were awarded major punishment and 197 minor punishments by the SP Potohar. As many as 66 police officials associated with the SP security were awarded major and 126 minor punishments.

The SSP operations awarded 34 major punishments in all ranks of officials, excluding inspector, and 148 minor punishments.

A police spokesman said there is a strong and disciplined accountability mechanism in the police department. Whenever any violation of police rules and regulations comes to light, the concerned police high-ups take immediate departmental action against the responsible police official/officer.

He said that police continued crackdown against narcotics during the year 2024 which resulted in the conviction of 185 individuals.

A senior police officer told Dawn on condition of anonymity that there was no use of this exercise as it was just part of police publicity because these punishments were set aside when appeals were filed to the DIG level officer.

He said: “The ultimate consequence of these appealable penalties is zero over zero.”

The reason behind the failure of this exercise, he said, is that the procedural matters are not followed properly which results in acceptance of their appeals and subsequently their punishments are overturned.

He said the impact of the punishments would only be visible if any official awarded a major punishment is never posted on operational duty, with no link with public dealing again.

The senior officer said that there was no one police officer who had been dismissed and had not been posted again on operational duty in the department.

He said there is a common practice that once a police official is awarded major punishment he is reinstated after filing an appeal at different forums or using influence.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2025