Can Lahore High Court depoliticise Punjab Police
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LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah has sought replies from the federal and provincial governments by March 30 on steps taken to depoliticise the police force and implementation of Police Order 2002.
The court also appointed senior lawyer Asma Jahangir as amicus curiae to assist the court on the matter.
The CJ remarked that if the Punjab police were fully empowered according to the PO, more than 30% burden of litigation would have been reduced in courts.
The CJ further remarked that appointments of the police chief and CCPOs should be done through Provincial Public Safety Commission, but unfortunately PPSC was never constituted and common citizens have been kept away from the process of appointments of IGs and CCPOs.
Arguing the petition, Advocate Saad submitted that under the PO 2002, constitution of District Public Safety, District Police Complaints Commission, Provincial Public Safety Commission, Provincial Police Complaints Authority, National Public Safety Commission, Police Complaints Authority and Citizen Police Liaison Committee were mandatory which so far could not exist.
He said according to the PO 2002, appointment and posting of the provincial police officers (PPOs) and capital city police officers (CCPOs) cannot be made without the involvement of national and provincial public safety commissions respectively.
Similarly, the appointments and postings of city police officers (CPOs) and district police officers (DPOs) are linked to the District Public Safety Commission, he said.
