If PM can't suspend IGP then what's the point of elections, asks info minister

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said inspector generals of police (IGPs) are answerable to the prime minister and chief minister and questioned "what the point of elections is" if the premier cannot suspend a police chief.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, the information minister commented on the transfer of Islamabad Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Jan Muhammad and said, "There were multiple complaints against him and he was not cooperative."

"Drugs are being sold in schools across Islamabad and the police took no measures to crackdown on drug mafia," he explained.

Elaborating on the transfer, Chaudhry said, "IGPs are answerable to the prime minister and the chief minister. There are some issues regarding bureaucracy which we are working to solve."

"It is the National Assembly's job to draft laws and bureaucracy's job is to implement them," he upheld. 

"If the bureaucracy does not do its job then the premier and the chief minister have the authority to transfer them and if the country has to be run through bureaucracy then elections should not have been conducted," the information minister asserted.

"If the prime minister cannot even suspend an IGP then there is no point of elections and the government can be run through four bureaucrats," Chaudhry added. 

“How is it possible that an IGP does not answer a federal minister’s phone call?” the information minister asked.

“It is not acceptable that chief secretaries and IGPs do not answer their phones,” he said. “The matter regarding not answering phone calls is not an issue of the government and opposition,” the information minister added.

Stating that , Chaudhry said, “A narrative is being spread that if officers do not receive phone calls they will become heroes.”

Chaudhry further said, “During our rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police officers were transferred following complaints.”

“The prime minister and chief minister have executive powers which they will use,” the information minister asserted. “It is not possible that IGPs, deputy commissioners or others are not answerable to the premier.”

Further, he said, “We respect the Supreme Court and will accept whatever they decide.”

Chaudhry’s comments came a day after the Supreme Court of Pakistan suspended a notification regarding the transfer of Islamabad IGP after officials said he was transferred on the verbal orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Supreme Court on Monday was hearing the case of the Islamabad IGP's transfer after Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice.

IGP Muhammad was transferred on October 27 after he allegedly refused action on a complaint by Federal Minister Senator Azam Khan Swati's son regarding an incident at the farmhouse which, the minister claims, led to three of his employees being injured.

‘APC being held to seek NRO’

Commenting on the opposition’s All Parties Conference (APC) scheduled for tomorrow, the information minister said, “Do not understand the point of APC and it is being held to seek the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).”

“No matter what happens, there will be no NRO,” he added.

Taking a hit at former premier Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhry said, “His political career is now just that he comes to meet people at the Parliament House.”

Responding to a question, Chaudhry said, “If we make Shehbaz chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), then will meetings be held in jail?”

“The opposition has no clean people, whoever you place your hand on has six NAB cases against him,” he added.

“The Sharif brothers and Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairperson Asif Zardari do not want cases to be opened against them, however, PM Imran has said there will be no NRO,” the information minister asserted.