ISLAMABAD - A number of police officers hailing from Balochistan and serving in other provinces think that PPP-led federal government will use its newly announced transfer policy on civil servants vis-à-vis Balochistan for politically driven motives to influence the next general elections.
In addition to that, well-placed sources in the Establishment Division informed that lists are being prepared to transfer Balochistan-domiciled police service of Pakistan (PSP) officers to their home province in the light of the newly announced transfer policy by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Prime Minister has recently approved the new transfer policy of civil servants including PSP officers to Balochistan. Under the new policy, those officers who are Balochistan-domiciled and are serving outside the province and have completed their three years posting may be posted back to their province.
Background interviews with some senior police officers hailing from Balochistan indicate that the government's recently announced policy is politically motivated to get posted the police officers of its own choice in the provinces and transfer others to Balochistan who are enjoying the confidence of political parties ruling the provinces, especially Punjab, before next general elections.
The officers insist that the PPP government will specially transfer police officers of its own choice to Punjab and those who are enjoying the support of PNL-N led provincial government will either be transferred to Balochistan or to other provinces to influence the general lections. A senior officer wishing not to be named said that for example, additional inspector general of police (IGP) Punjab Mohammad Aslam Tareen who enjoys the confidence of Punjab government is on the top of the list to be transferred to Balochistan on the pretext of the new transfer policy The officers were of the view that the federal government should first implement its own transfer orders of those 54 PSP officers whose list had also been submitted before the Supreme Court.
The federal govt on the directions of the apex court had transferred 54 PSP officers to Balochistan when the provincial government of Balochistan had submitted before the court that it was facing shortage of police officers to main law and order in the province. However, the Establishment Division changed the original list one after the other apparently under the pressure of provincial governments and transferred politically victimized officers to Balochistan. However, a recently transferred police officer to Balochistan on the condition of anonymity said that only 14 PSP officers have so far reported to Balochistan out the 54 ones and these officers are also facing hurdles for their postings.