Seniority of PSP officers revised on SC orders

ISLAMABAD: Seniority list of Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) cadre in BS-18, 19 and 20, has been revised on the order of Supreme Court of Pakistan. This will lead to readjustment of at least 24 Provincial Police Officers (PPOs) in PSP deleting the period of backdate seniority and adjusted to their original positions, the Establishment Division (ED) sources disclosed.
The ED has issued a notification (F No. 5(2)/2015-E-3 (Police) on 7th July, 2015, saying, “Pursuance to the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan’s judgement dated 15-12-2014, Appeal Nos. 1122 & 1123 of 2011, 431 of 2013, 1343 of 2014 and Crime Appeal No. 436 of 2011, the competent authority has been pleased to revise the date of appointment in Police Service of Pakistan.” A list of 24 PSP officers has been given in the notification with revised date of appointment in PSP cadre. The notification was signed by Deputy Secretary to Government of Pakistan Sarfraz Durrani and copies have been sent to President and Prime Minister’s offices.
ED sources claimed that at-least 13 officers of BS-19 and three officers, presently serving in BS-20, could be downgraded to their original seniority, the sources maintained and added that the list will be produced before the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 9th July.
The concerned section of the ED has compiled a list of officers who got promotion on the basis of backdate seniority, indicating day of grant of back-date seniority with dates of encadrement notifications, the sources maintained.
The record disclosed that the previous government of PPP granted backdate seniority to 18 officers in the total list of 24 officers. Eight PPOs were granted back dated seniority in one day on 7-7-2007 by the PPP government, while five officers were granted in Musharraf regime. But the PML-N government didn’t grant backdated seniority to even a single encadred Provincial Police Officer.
The Supreme Court in its landmark judgment on 15 Dec 2014 decided the question of backdated seniority being given to provincial police officers who were being appointed to the PSP cadre.
The Supreme Court held that the appointment of the encadred police officers from the provinces is to be made with prospective effect. The verdict of the august court was a major step in furtherance of the rule of law and a judicial check on misuse of authority by the executive in administration of Police Service of Pakistan.