KARACHI: The Sindh police are going to induct more than 2,800 traffic officials for Karachi in one of the largest recruitment drives announced for its traffic section in years, it emerged on Sunday.

In a recent announcement, the law enforcement agencies mentioned that candidates possessing Karachi domicile only will be inducted in the force.

Around 2,838 constables, in BPS-5, would be recruited for controlling traffic across the city. However, there is no plan to recruit any of the constables for administrative duties as all of them would be seen on roads controlling traffic after their training.

“The Sindh police have formally announced a new recruitment notice in traffic police Karachi range through PTS [Pakistan Testing Service],” said an official citing the formal announcement.

Around 3,000 policemen are leaving Karachi for their hometowns after completing five-year deputation period

“These Karachi openings are for residents of Karachi range districts. This recruitment will be made through the PTS. Those who are willing to apply for this opportunity can visit the testing service’s website for all relevant details.”

According to the defined recruitment policy for this category, the candidates with minimum matriculation qualification are eligible to apply for traffic constable post.

The age limit is 18 to 28 years and the applicants who met the eligibility criteria will go through a test for physical requirements, the official added.

“The candidates who are already working in government services are eligible to apply. A five per cent quota has been reserved for minorities as per the recruitment policy of the Sindh government,” he added.

The fresh announcement comes while an induction exercise in the Sindh police of hiring more than 10,000 men and women is already under way with a major chunk of recruitments from Karachi youth having city domicile.

In an announcement earlier this year, the law enforcement agency allocated certain number of seats for every category ranging from disabled persons to people belonging to the transgender community and members of minorities’ communities.

The police have notified 10,490 vacancies with 6,655 alone for Karachi range.

The fresh batch of induction for Karachi traffic police will help meet the emerging “human resource crisis” being faced in the key unit of the law enforcement agency.

“Actually some 3,000 personnel of the city traffic police are set to be sent back to their hometowns in different districts of Sindh after completion of their five-year deputation period in Karachi,” said the official.

“This may lead to a serious human resource crisis for the law enforcement department. In a short-term solution, the Karachi police have offered the personnel to be absorbed in the city police service structure, but only a few hundred have agreed to stay in the city.”

Recruited in 2016 in different Sindh districts, some 3,200 personnel were transferred to Karachi for a five-year period in the name of meeting the shortage in the traffic section of police department.

Immediately after their transfer in the second half of 2016, they started serving in the city traffic police and had completed their five-year term in late 2021.

“These 3,200 personnel would be transferred in phases,” said the official. “On the other hand, the recruitment process of the personnel, and then their nine-month training and finally their over a month-long traffic management course will take a year to complete and make these 2,838 fresh recruits part of the force.”

The official hoped that after a year or so the Karachi traffic police would be able to meet the shortage emerged following the completion of deputation period of personnel.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2022