Mubarak Baloch
The ‘chief cop’ of Sindh police has been sent on ‘forced leave’. Though the government says that the officer willingly relinquished charge and went on leave, a version stands challengeable in the face of some credible media reports. After officer bade adieu, obviously unwillingly and under duress, to office PPP bigwigs were seen expressing accolades for his uprightness and honesty. This was probably more a strange sigh of relief than an ode to officer’s integrity. Upright stature is unfortunately poorly esteemed here. As per practice in vogue the posting and transfer of grade 21 and 22 officers takes place with the consent of Prime Minister of the country. Since federal government would not have posted out A.D. Khowaja at province’s request hence Sindh government has managed his removal by sending him on leave. Another officer of 21 grade has been posted to do as stop-gap till further orders.
Despite small failings ascribed to his antecedents, A.D. Khowaja enjoys professionally sound reputation. During his over nine months period as Inspector General he took worth mentioning purgative steps to do away with the anomalies in Sindh police. Officer called back a sizeable strength of constabulary deoployed at private Bunglows and Bethaks of the influential figures doing guard duties, chauffeur, and other menial chores. Ensured transparency in fresh intake of around 20,000 constabulary strength by involving NTS (National Testing Service). He utilized Sindh Rangers services and expertise in determining the physical fitness of the candidates.
Few days prior to his departure on forced leave he approved eighteen hundred
NTS conducted test qualified candidates recruitment in traffic police. Merit was also ensured in recent promotions of police officers from sub-inspector to inspector rank.
A.D Khowaja got rid of the infamous ‘visa system’ pervasive in police department in which personnel would pay equivalent to his half salary for not being called to duty. He also focused his efforts on training of the personnel at police training schools and colleges by enforcing strict training discipline.
Procurement activity in police department which is otherwise usually marred with corrupt practices was regulated. To go by the media reports he resisted the misuse of police personnel to coerce cane growers for selling sugarcane to certain sugar-mills. This was an appreciable attempt to keep police away from private business venture. All these initiatives were to the distaste of PPP leadership.
Sindh High Court has accepted a petition filed by a citizen challenging the forced removal of IG Police Sindh.
A number of former Inspectors General raised their voice against the unceremonious removal of the officer. While these officers might have reflected comradeship for fellow officer but A.D. Khowaja’s professional uprightness warrants moral support for him. He tried to make the police force apolitical by not succumbing to undue political pressure for transfer-posting of the field officers. Politically manipulated postings make the officers more responsive to political entities and thereby call to public duty stands fired. Dishing out jobs in police constabulary on political grounds compromises the spirit of merit.
In public administration importance of ‘continuity and consistency’ is underscored. Contrary to it both the consistency and the continuity have been the victim here. Annual audit of the frequency of secretary level officers’ transfer-posting in different departments in province shows strange volatility. Secretary Home Department was changed for four times in year 2016, whereas secretary health department was changed for five times, a number of officers were posted in/ out in quick succession in Board of Revenue and twelve senior officers including Muhammad Siddique Memon, the former chief secretary were repatriated to federal government.
Sindh government’s failings elsewhere in governance are also upsetting. The continual drought like situation made the life of people in Tharparkar miserable. Spread of AIDS virus through infected dialysis machines in Larkana, the home town of PPP leadership; fast falling standard of education in province, dilapidated condition of road network in interior of the province and the lack of civic amenities in city centres reflect the poor governance. Absence of merit in Sindh Public Service Commission recently invited the attention of Supreme Court. Apex court has ordered halt in recruitment activity by SPSC. Lately, judicial intervention compelled Sindh government to repatriate the deputies in various departments irrelevantly drawn from right and left bypassing rules and codal formalities. Presently, there are hordes of petitions being heard in judiciary at various levels filed by people against heads of different departments seeking redress of grievances. This reflects that government departments’ performance is unsatisfactory and people have the genuine grouse. While a government has to render services to people but why at the cost of merit in public offices?. In fact these public offices and their custodians are mandated to provide goods and services to masses on merit.
People’s confidence in governance system and in the institutions is considered to be the real strength of a government. The latter loses its strength when it is manipulating functioning of institutions for some vested interests. People are the permanent feature of a state and a political party has to interact with them for getting mandate under an electoral process to form government. PPP has in fact no other rival entity to pose a significant challenge as alternate political force in interior Sindh. Status quo never stays static for long, though. Peoples’ disenchantment is visible but probably not being perceived by PPP. Howsoever the society may sound tribal in nature and dominated by feudal heads but the change through evolutionary process is difficult to stop. At present PPP stands politically cornered due to leadership vacuum after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Party profile has already sunk low in Sindh but perhaps present leadership of party is still banking on the fast waning public sympathy factor for Bhuttos. A political party can withstand even the toughest challenges provided its leadership is armed with honesty and is able to resist the temptations.
