SSP Shikarpur Rizwan says life in danger, blames provincial minister in letter to IGP

KARACHI: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shikarpur Dr Muhammad Rizwan on Tuesday informed Sindh Inspector General Police (IGP), Dr Kaleem Imam, that he fears for his life after provincial Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh threatened him and his family, reported The News.

In a detailed letter to IGP Imam, the SSP accused some senior members of Sindh’s ruling party and a provincial minister for hurling threats to him, his family members’ and his subordinate officers.

SSP Rizwan, in his letter, warned the IGP that due to the alleged patronising of criminals by political leaders, the Shikarpur district may witness a serious breakdown of law and order.

Tensions have been simmering between the provincial minister and the police official when earlier last month SSP Rizwan told DIG Larkana that Sheikh was allegedly patronising criminals and using them for political and financial gains.

According to The News, things, however, took a different turn on February 14 during a police encounter when an accused Mohammad Hassan Teghani, who also happens to be the nephew of Teghani tribal chief Tegho Khan Teghani associated with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was injured and arrested by Shikarpur police to the vexation of the PPP leaders. While the Shikarpur police claimed the encounter to be genuine, the relatives of accused blamed the authorities for injuring Hassan in a fake encounter. The Sindh Home Department on the orders of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah constituted an inquiry committee to probe into the encounter.

Read also: Federal government to transfer Kaleem Imam from Sindh Police to Narcotics Division

Both the Home Department’s directive for inquiry and SSP Rizwan’s letter to IGP Sindh have surfaced at a time when CM Sindh, provincial ministers and PPP's top leadership are engaged in a tussle with IGP Imam and some of the police officers including SSP Rizwan.

According to a notification issued by the Home Department, an inquiry committee has been constituted under Commissioner Larkana and comprising DIG Larkana Range, DC Shikarpur, and DHO Shikarpur to probe into the police encounter. The committee was directed to submit its findings within three working days.

The inquiry, according to Home Department was constituted at the complaint of Abdul Nabi Teghani, who is the Teghani tribal chief and uncle of the accused Hassan Teghani.

It is pertinent to mention here that a Sindh High Court order in the former IGP Sindh Police ‘AD Khawaja case’ defined that the police hierarchy has to “act through IGP who must have control over its affairs as regards its operations and command. There should be no interference, direct or indirect in the operational command. No authority or body or the provincial government itself including any minister of whatever rank could issue any order, direction, instruction, guideline, circular or notification that impacted on, compromised, affected, negated, eroded or otherwise curtailed or reduce the Police force’s autonomy of command and independence of operation.”

Against this backdrop, the Sindh Home Department's action of constituting the inquiry committee is a violation of the Police Act 2019 which clearly defines that all complaints must be taken up by Sindh Public Safety and Police Complaints Commission.

Read also: Senior Sindh Police officer found involved in smuggling of Iranian diesel

Abdul Rasheed Channa, the spokesman of Sindh Chief Minister, told The News that there were no differences between the police and the Sindh government ministers but as the provincial chief executive, he could order an inquiry into any alleged wrongdoing. The order of the Sindh Home department was according to law and not in the contradiction of the Sindh High Court orders and Police Act, Channa concluded.

Cases against Hassan Teghani

Referring to the police encounter in his letter to IGP, SSP Rizwan accused Hassan Teghani of being a proclaimed offender. Rizwan said Hassan along with his father and brothers were hardened criminals against whom over 40 cases of heinous nature are registered. Rizwan further said Abdul Wahid Teghani, Hassan’s brother was also nominated in the murder of DSP Rao Shafiullah in 2019.

SSP Rizwan informed the IGP that following Hassan's arrest, a notified and notorious criminal Bello Teghani threatened SHO Garhi Yasin Inspector Imtiaz Ahmed Khoso of revenge for arresting Hassan.

According to SSP Rizwan, the Teghani tribe is a menace in the riverine areas of Shikarpur and is involved in a large number of kidnappings and robberies under the alleged patronage of its tribal chief, Sardar Tegho Khan. The SSP added that over 350 proclaimed offenders and absconders of the Teghani tribe are wanted by police. 

The SSP said Sardar Tegho Khan is patronized by Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh and also accused the minister of being allegedly involved in highway robberies, kidnappings for ransom and killing of more than 70 including 13 police officers.

Sindh minister denies threatening police officer

SSP Rizwan took over the charge of SSP Shikarpur on August 24, 2019, but was surrendered by the Sindh province on December 6, 2019. The SSP was however reinstated by SHC on January 29, 2020. In his letter to the IGP, SSP Shikarpur said he fears that some harm might come to him, his family and subordinates.

Responding to the accusations, Minister Sheikh told The News that he never threatened the SSP, claiming that in fact, he had never spoken to that police officer. Sheikh blamed SSP Rizwan of conspiring against him and his companions due to his alleged connections with rival Birohi tribe.

Originally published in The News