Federal govt trying to impose decision related to Sindh IGP, province will not accept: Ghani

SUKKUR: Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani on Friday alleged that the federal government was trying to impose its decision regarding the appointment of a new Inspector General of Police in Sindh on the provincial authorities, reported The News.

Ghani, while talking to reporters in Sukkur, said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led government's decision consult with the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) on the appointment of a new Sindh IGP was a new trend.

"The provincial government would never accept such a move," he told reporters. The minister further claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah in December, had agreed to replace incumbent Sindh IGP Kaleem Imam. 

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The federal government and the Sindh government have been at loggerheads over the past few weeks on the appointment of a new head of the provincial police force. 

On January 15, the Sindh cabinet had requested the centre remove Inspector General of Sindh Police Kaleem Imam over unsatisfactory performance. On January 21, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah sent a formal request to Prime Minister Imran Khan in this regard. 

On January 27, it was reported that the PTI-led federal government had reached a consensus with the Sindh government on the appointment of Mushtaq Mahar as the new Sindh IGP. 

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The consensus had been reached after PM Imran met the Sindh CM on his one-day trip to the city. However, the very next day, the federal cabinet delayed the appointment of a new IGP after the government's allies expressed "deep reservations" over the decision.

"The majority of our allies in the cabinet, particularly those from Sindh and Karachi expressed their deep reservations over the panel of names [for new Sindh IG presented to them," Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan had said.

The federal government is yet to name a replacement for Kaleem Imam, who continues to serve as the province’s top cop. Earlier this week, it was reported that PM Imran had decided to transfer Imam from Sindh to the post of the Secretary of the Narcotics Division.