Transfers & postings: Sindh government to formulate police rules, enact legislation by May 14

Provincial government will formulate the police rules on transfer and posting as well as carryout the legislation in this regard in one month, Sindh High Court (SHC) was informed on Friday. Advocate General Sindh Salman Talibuddin assured SHC bench comprised of Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Aziz ur Rehman that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had committed to do this task in one month after court ordered for finalizing the police rules and enacting the legislation on it by May 14, 2019.
SHC bench is hearing contempt of court plea filed against Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and others for not complying with the court orders regarding the new police rules. Executive Director of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), Karamat Ali filed the petition seeking the framing of police rules for promotion and posting in Sindh Police.
Counsel for petitioner, however contended that he didn't trust the assurance of Chief Minister because his ill-intentions were proved in the past. Bench head remarked that the fate of the police rules might be same if went to assembly, which happened with the other matters in the past.
Advocate General Sindh told the court that IG Sindh is also included in the committee, which is seized with the task of devising the rules. Faisal Siddiqui, counsel for petitioner stated that former IG Sindh A D Khawja sent the draft of the police rules to provincial governments thrice, but no legislation was done on it.
Advocate General Sindh and Counsel of petitioner also exchanged hot words during the hearing when the latter showed distrust in the ability of provincial government to complete this job. In the previous hearing of the case, provincial government sought the times for the new rules, however it couldn't submit the draft of these rules in the hearing, prompting the bench to show its displeasure over the state of the affairs.
Advocate General Sindh stated that provincial government is not working on police rules in closed doors and is doing the task through a committee comprised of two ministers and a provincial secretary. In the contempt of court petition, petitioner stated that SHC had ordered to make changes in laws and rules regulating the appointment and transfer period of officials in the police department. The petitioner had requested for contempt proceedings as the government had failed to comply the orders.
Petitioner also accused provincial government of making the police rules of their own choice on posting and transfer in the department despite the orders of court to make the system transparent.