The likelihood of direct induction of assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) to fill vacant ASI positions in the police force has resulted in serious reservations among a large number of head constables hoping to get promoted to the ASI position.
The provincial police department is considering direct induction of ASIs to meet their shortage in the police force. Meanwhile, many head constables are concerned over the idea of directly hiring ASIs saying that this will aggravate the sense of deprivation among them as they have been anticipating promotions for several years. “There are around 600 to 700 vacancies for direct appointment of ASIs currently available,” SSP Muhammad Anwar Khetran, the ADIGP admin of the Karachi police, told media.
Denying the availability of the vacancies for the promotions of head constables to the ASI rank, he said, “The police department is promoting head constables in each passing year as the Karachi police department also promoted 200 head constables to the rank of ASI in the recent departmental promotion committee.”
He appeared not to agree with the concern of head constables, saying that ASIs were not being hired directly in enough numbers. “The seats for direct induction of ASIs are available but the ASIs are not being inducted directly and now we have around 600 to 700 unfilled seats for direct recruitment of ASIs,” he explained.Meanwhile, a large number of the Karachi police’s head constables awaiting promotion to the ASI rank for last two decades are pondering over the option to approach courts against the police department’s plan of direct appointments of the ASIs instead of promoting them.“There are a number of head constables who are awaiting promotion to the rank of assistant sub-inspectors for the last 20 years and they are being neglected,” said a head constable requesting anonymity.
“A departmental promotion committee [DPC] was held at the Karachi Police Office recently; however, only 200 head constables were promoted to the rank of ASI although there are over 1,000 vacancies available.” Quoting staff at the Karachi Police Office, an official privy to the situation told The News that the police department had planned the direct appointment of ASIs instead of promoting head constables, some of whom had completed around 20 years of service.
“Police high-ups are influencing the DPC and one such example of it is that 550 recommendations were sought for the promotion of head constables to the ASI rank,” an official explained. “Now, there are 350 more ASI posts vacant as 350 ASIs have been promoted to the rank of sub-inspector.”
The officer said the affected head constables are likely to approach courts to get promotions. He added that separate vacancies should be created for the direct appointment of ASIs but justice should be ensured to the head constables waiting for promotions for 20 years.
