Unrest In Pok After Local Police Officers Ignored For Top Post: Report

(MENAFN- IANS) Colombo, March 6 (IANS) The appointment of a junior police officer from Pakistan's Punjab province as Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has triggered unrest within the local police force, with six senior officers questioning the decision on grounds of seniority, merit, and institutional morale, a report said on Friday.

It added that Liaqat Ali Malik was serving as a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Establishment in the Punjab Police and was "a Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 20 officer" before being appointed as the new IGP of PoK, a "BPS-22 position".

According to a report in the leading Sri Lankan media outlet 'Daily Mirror', Malik's appointment was enforced despite the presence of several serving BPS-21 officers in the PoK police department, including an additional IGP.

The perception of being sidelined has sparked a strong reaction from the local police officials.

The report stated that following the appointment, the resentful senior police officer from PoK wrote to Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, the region's head of administration, claiming that they had been sidelined by the Islamabad government even after possessing“longer service records, higher academic credentials, and broader national and international exposure". Islamabad used the 1949 Karachi Agreement - which superseded the region's administration and reduced its autonomy -to install Malik.

Raising concerns over Malik's appointment in the presence of several BPS-21 officers from the region, the letter noted:“Elevation of a comparatively junior officer to the top position is a departure from established service norms and has caused unease within senior officers” of the PoK Police and risks affecting“command dynamics and professional cohesion within the force.”

The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee questioned Rathore regarding the appointment of a junior officer when the region had competent and eligible officials for the IGP position.

“If senior Kashmiri officers are available, why are they not considered for the top position? It is a violation of merit. It is an injustice. Many Kashmiris feared that Malik's tenure may see further suppression of people fighting for autonomy and civil rights,” 'Daily Mirror' quoted committee member Shaukat Nawaz Mir as saying.

The report noted that while one Pakistani described Malik as“an extremely imbalanced personality” and unfit for the IGP post, another accused him of atrocities in PoK.

Many Kashmiris cited Malik's past association with the Pakistani Army as a possible reason behind his appointment amid concerns over his eligibility.

“This guy is an utter embarrassment to the police service as he was in the military service,” the Lankan daily quoted another Pakistani national, Shahid, as saying.

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