Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a record from the federal government and the provinces of transfers and postings in police departments over the past eight years.
While hearing a petition of political interference in the transfers and postings of the Punjab police, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprised of Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Athar Minallah issued the directives.
The petitioner, Rana Tahir Saleem, a resident of Faisalabad, is seeking appropriate orders to stop illegal political interference in police matters.
At the request of the petitioner, the top court expanded the scope of the case to the federation and other provinces and subsequently, asked the federal government and other provinces to submit a response to the case.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that police officials were posted and transferred in the province as a result of political intervention. “The recent transfer of DPO Layyah was also on similar grounds,” he claimed.
CJP Bandial, while sharing the statistics furnished by the lawyer, said the record showed an average term of a DPO in office was five months.
“As many as 268 DPOs have been transferred in Punjab in the last four years,” the chief justice observed.
“Federation and provinces are to submit records of transfer postings in the police department over the past eight years,” the court mandated.
The court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.