RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Supreme Court (SC) on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over report of Secretary Establishment concerning action against 35 officials of Sindh Police and directed him to submit a consolidated reply of all inquiries within two weeks.

At its Karachi Registry, SC bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed took up the hearing of a case pertaining to officials of Sindh Police having patchy record such as criminal proceedings and ‘out of turn’ promotions cases against them.

Secretary Establishment submitted report about action and inquiries taken against the police officials and submitted that action was taken against 35 officials over their involvement in criminal activities or out of turn promotion.

The apex court, however, showed dissatisfaction over the report of Secretary Establishment and directed him to attach inquiry report against the officials along with his report. Court also expressed its annoyance over scrapping the inquiries against some police officials.

“What is the sin of low grade officials to face the inquiries if big fishes go scot-free,” the court observed and declared that court would not allow anyone to let the big police officer go scot-free if found involved in unlawful activities.

Justice Gulzar remarked: “The yardstick should be same in treating the high and low grade officials. If high officials are exonerated of charges then the same should be applied to the low grade officials.” He made it clear that court would not allow scrapping of inquiry against any high official of police and announced to observe the service record of each police official itself.

Deputy Attorney General informed the court that there is no criminal record against certain police officials. He also told the court that former IGP Sindh Ghulam Hyder Jamali along with other officials have been accused of making illegal appointments in Sindh Police.

Additional Advocate General Sindh submitted in the court that even those officials with no criminal record have been included in the list of the officials against whom inquiries are being held for committing unlawful actions.

The court also expressed displeasure over non-submission of reply from Attorney General Office and called it unpardonable because the court directed to submit reply in the proceedings on May 26 but that was not complied with.

Court ordered Attorney General to take action against the assistant at Karachi Office for not complying with the orders of the court and sought the consolidated reply from Secretary Establishment regarding all inquires in two weeks time.