Summary The removal of IG Police Iqbal Mahmood by Sindh government has been challenged in Sindh High Court.
KARACHI (Dunya News) – The removal of Inspector General (IG) Police Iqbal Mahmood by Sindh government has been challenged in the Sindh High Court.
In a petition filed by Guzaar Faizul Ehsan, it stated that the Supreme Court had barred the Sindh government from recruitment and transfer of police officials in a suo motu case. The petitioner also maintained that the Sindh government removed Mahmood to achieve political gains. Therefore, he requested the court to take action against the decision of Sindh government and reinstate Iqbal Mahmood as Sindh IG (police).
Iqbal Mahmood is the third police officer who was stopped from running the office just after two months. He was appointed as IG Sindh on April 7 after the approval from PM.
Three names have been proposed by the federal government Mir Zubair, Rafique Hasan and Khan Baig – for the post vacated. Sindh government is emphasizing on the reappointment of Fayyaz Leghari who had already served in the office and had to leave twice before on the order of the Supreme Court.
The letter also alleged Mahmood for purchasing expensive armoured vehicles besides quoting senior police officer Shakib Qureshi, expressing Mahmood’s inability to control and command the institution. Rumours had also been circling for the current additional Inspector General police (AIG) of the province to be appointed as his substitute. So, as long as no formal appointment takes place AIG Ghulam Haider Jamali has taken charge of the office for an interim period.
Sources also hint that the Mahmood, who is being sacked on the pretext of purchase of expensive arms may had fallen to be a victim of a highly influential individual in context to ammunition and fresh appointments in Sindh police.
Iqbal Mahmood had replaced Shahid Nadeem Baloch, the then IG Sindh, in February this year prior to officially joining the police force permanently in April. Baloch, on the other hand, had replaced Fayyaz Leghari the previous year in March. Whereas, Leghari had been reinstated as in charge of the office and served since July 10, 2012.
As a consequence of the Abbas Town blast that took away 50 innocent lives Fayyaz Leghari had to resign from his position as IG Sindh on the orders of the Supreme Court. He had also been sacked on the directives of the Supreme Court earlier in June 2011 following the extra-judicial killing of Sarfaraz Shah by a Ranger personnel.
