ISLAMABAD-Omer Saeed Malik, a BS-19 police officer, who was transferred through a notification on October 23 and appointed SSP (Operations) of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) was barred from taking charge as SSP (Operations), rather asked to assume charge as SSP (Law and Order), a post that exists more on paper and less on ground, according to the sources in Islamabad police.
The officer was asked to take charge as SSP (Law and Order), particularly in the backdrop of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) sit-in in Islamabad against the PTI government which continues till day. Malik had reached Islamabad police headquarters a day after he was relieved of his duty in Punjab.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister office conveyed to the IG Islamabad office that he would be given charge of the office of SSP (Law and Order) Islamabad.
“When charge assumption report was placed before him, it was for the office of SSP (Law and Order) and not SSP (Operations),” a senior police officer told The Nation on condition of anonymity and added that Omer subsequently denied taking the charge. He was told by the senior police officers present there that they just received directions from high-ups to stop him from assuming charge of the office of SSP (Operations) till further orders.
According to the officials, the post of SSP (Law and Order) in ICT exists more on paper and less on ground. “Powers of SSP (Operations) are inherited and cannot be conferred,” remarked a senior officer adding the post of SSP (Law and Order) Islamabad has no attraction for a police officer. He said the former District Police Officer (DPO) Khanewal is still at the disposal of IG Islamabad police and it is up to the government whether he is given charge of SSP (Operations) Islamabad or made an OSD.
Malik was transferred through a notification on October 23 and appointed as SSP (Operations) Islamabad in the backdrop of the then expected sit-in by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl.
Earlier, Sialkot DPO Capt (Retired) Mustansar Feroze was sent back to Punjab in less than 24 hours of his posting against the same position on October 19. Feroze was kept in the dark about reasons behind cancellation of his appointment order.
Later, it transpired that his appointment notification was withdrawn because of a campaign which tried to link him to the Aug 2016 murder of Barrister Fahad Malik, a nephew of federal minister and former president Muhammad Mian Soomro, in Islamabad.
The SSP (Operations) post has been lying vacant since February 2019 when Waqar ud Din Syed was promoted and appointed as the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations). The then AIG (Operations) Sardar Ghias Gul Khan was also appointed as the SSP, but the prime minster cancelled the order very next day.
Presently, Waqar ud Din Syed is holding additional charge of the post of SSP (Operations) Islamabad police.
According to a senior police officer, it is a mockery of civil service. “A well-settled DPO is requisitioned, posting orders clearly mention as SSP (Operations) but denied to take charge. Powerful lobby behind it which didn’t let SSP (Operations) be posted for last many months,” he remarked.