KARACHI: The Sindh government has published a seniority list of 500 police officers promoted to deputy superintendent of police (DSP), raising questions about irregularities in recruitment and promotion procedures. The notification, approved by Additional Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Memon, has caused concern within the provincial police over alleged discrepancies related to age eligibility, appointment dates, and out-of-turn promotions.
An examination of the list shows that some officers were recruited below the minimum legal age of 18. For example, Muhammad Arshad Afridi, born on November 11, 1973, was recruited on September 14, 1991, making him only 17 years and 10 months old at the time. Similarly, Rana Nasrullah, born March 2, 1970, joined on June 11, 1988, at 18 years and 3 months, shortly after becoming eligible for a national identity card.
Sindh government rules require candidates for direct DSP recruitment to be between 28 and 32 years old, but the list includes officers appointed outside this range under vague “special circumstances,” without clear explanation.
The list also features 10 female officers recruited between 1993 and 1994, including Zille Huma, Zeena Chandio, and Sultana Mehdi. Notably, no officers recruited in 1992 appear, though some from adjacent years are included, prompting questions about the selection criteria.
These revelations have revived concerns about violations of the Supreme Court’s 2016 order banning out-of-turn promotions, which were deemed discriminatory and unconstitutional by Justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Amir Hani Muslim.
