Islamabad-Appointment of Salahuddin Mehsood as new Inspector General (IG) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been challenged in the Islamabad High Court.

A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq conducted hearing of the petition challenging the appointment of new IG of KP police and issued notices to Secretary Establishment and newly appointed IG Salahuddin Mehsood directing them to submit their reply in this matter.

Syed Akhter Ali Shah, Additional IG (Headquarters) KP Police who temporarily held the post of acting IG of the province after retirement of Nasir Khan Durrani moved the petition through his counsel Barrister Masroor Shah and cited federation through Secretary Establishment Division, deputy secretary of Establishment Division, IG KP Salahuddin Mehsoon and government of KP through its chief secretary as respondents.

In his petition, the petitioner adopted that the appointment of the Salahuddin is in violation of recent judgment of Supreme Court regarding unlawful promotions and the provisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Ordinance, 2016. 

His counsel informed the court that the newly notified IG Police was promoted in controversial 2016 Central Selection Board (CSB) whose proceedings were declared as null and void by Supreme Court.

Therefore, he argued that the incumbent IGP is a BPS 20 officer who cannot be appointed as IG as enunciated in Section 14 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Ordinance 2016.

He added that under the law, only a BPS 21 or 22 officer of the Police can be appointed as Provincial Police Officer (IGP). He continued that the purported new appointment of IG Police is not only contrary to the law but also amounts to a gross contempt of the judgments of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.  Therefore, he prayed to the court to set aside the appointment notification of IG by declaring the same as illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, void ab initio and contrary to the ratio decidendi enunciated by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and this high court.

He also requested the court to direct respondent No 1 to appoint Inspector General of Police/ Provincial Police Officer, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa strictly in accordance with the law and the relevant rules. After hearing the arguments, the IHC bench issued notices to Secretary Establishment and the newly appointed IG Police KP for appearance before the court on April 5.