The Sindh High Court has ordered the chief secretary to ensure that no “political interference” takes place in the police department at any cost.
The SHC also noted that the provincial police lacked specific rules for transfers and postings of SHOs and ordered that a three-member committee, to be headed by the chief secretary, to draft such rules and get the same approved in two weeks.A two-judge bench comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Adnan-Ul-Karim Memon further said that the inspector general of Sindh police must exercise such powers within the framework of relevant law and rules as well as to create a pool of eligible officers for posting as SHOs.
It said that the practice of appointing additional SHOs at the police stations across the province must be discontinued.The bench was hearing a petition filed in August about alleged abduction/disappearance of a man and during previous hearing, it had taken exception over the posting of additional SHOs and summoned the secretary home department and a senior police officer along with policy and criterion to issue such posting orders as well as to explain whether sub-inspectors can be posted as SHOs.
At the outset of the hearing, DIG-East Ghulam Azfar Mahessar along with other senior officers turned up and submitted that sub-inspectors can be posted as SHOs under the Police Rules 1934.
However, the bench noted that practice to appoint additional SHOs be discontinued and Section 12 of the Police Act, 1861 empowered the IG to make rules for conduct and discipline of police including guiding operations and investigations as both branches of police have crucial roles in maintaining public safety.
