CCPO wants to appoint DSPs of his choice in Lahore

 LAHORE: Capital City policeman (CCPO) Umar Sheikh has opened a ‘Pandora box’ as he ‘challenged’ the powers of incumbent provincial captain Inam Ghani within the transfer/posting of deputy superintendents of police (DSPs).

Mr Sheikh is of the view that the appointment of DSPs in Lahore should be the jurisdiction of the CCPO instead of the IGP.

While writing a letter to PPO Inam Ghani, he said the CCPO should be delegated an equivalent power for the appointment of DSPs of his choice within the capital .

Mr Sheikh wrote that such powers had been employed by the regional cops (RPOs) and therefore the Lahore captain within the past.

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“The powers of transfer/postings of the officers within the rank of the deputy superintendents of police (BS-17) were delegated to all or any regional cops /city police officers,” reads the letter.

Supporting his stand, Mr Sheikh asked the IGP to delegate him an equivalent powers with a view to creating a team and controlling the rising crime within the city.

“The previous practice is need of the hour lately to curb criminal activities in Lahore district,” the CCPO said.

At a gathering a few of weeks back, Mr Sheikh had expressed his desire to be ‘powerful’ CCPO within the history of the Punjab police, a politician claimed. “The fresh move is within the same context.”

“It is requested that the powers of transfer and posting of DSPs in Lahore district may kindly be delegated to the CCPO Lahore within the best interest of public safety and security,” Umar Sheikh was quoted as saying.

Some police officials feared that the CCPO’s new move might cause another confrontation between the 2 top officers like Mr Sheikh did within the recent past while passing a little ‘improper’ remarks against his former boss Mr Shoaib Dastgir.

On the opposite hand, a couple of others supported his step saying that decentralisation should be finished all regions, including Lahore.

Requesting anonymity, a senior policeman said it had been practiced for a brief period during the tenure of Javed Iqbal when he was the Punjab IGP [2011].

He said at that point the Lahore CCPO and a few RPOs were serving in BS-21 and [they] deserved to exercise these powers.

However, this scheme had backfired when it created some administrative issues, the official said.

He added that the incumbent CCPO wasn't only in BS-20 and posted against senior position of BS-21 but also had ‘aggressive’ personality trait.

To a maximum extent, these powers might be delegated to the newly-appointed additional IG South Punjab [a BS-21 officer] who was heading multiple regions under current circumstances, he suggested.

Another official supported the move saying that former IGP Sindh Kaleem Imam had delegated powers to the Karachi police CCPO to post SPs and DSPs.

When contacted IGP Inam Ghani said the matter would be resolved within the light of the police rules and regulations.