ICT police seek IOs from provinces to complete challans of 12,000 cases.

LAHORE -- Under the first rotation policy proposed for the lower-rank police officials, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police high-ups have sought, from Punjab and three other provinces, highly-trained young investigation officers (IOs) and constables.

The young IOs are to be posted in all the 21 police stations of Islamabad to complete investigation of the pending cases as their number has reached 12,670 since 2020, as no new recruitment was made in the federal capital's police during the last four years or so.

In this regard, Punjab has been especially focused for having the largest police force.

The province had dispatched 2,500 personnel to the ICT ahead of the last long march staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in May, 2022.

600 constables also sought to overcome shortage of personnel

Similarly, the ICT police also sought transfer of five experienced deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) from Punjab to Islamabad.

An official privy to the development says that in the first such policy proposed by Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akbar Nasir Khan, the interior ministry has been requested to rotate junior-rank police officers of various provinces.

The IGP has also fixed the age limit for these junior officials that varies for different ranks.

For the sub-inspectors (SIs) sought for transfer to the ICT, the age limit is under 45 years, for assistant sub-inspectors it is under 40 and the constables must be under 35 years.

The official says the fresh and energetic trained staff is required to expedite completion of the pending investigation of a large number of cases to submit challans in the courts for improving the conviction rate which has dropped below 10 percent.

In the ICT police stations, the burden of cases has increased up to 80-100 for each investigation officer (IO), which should be 50 according to the police rules.

Consequently, in the ICT a large number of hardened criminals wanted by police are at large. As per the ICT police record, some 4,500 proclaimed offenders (POs) and 7,000 court absconders...