PHC rules on out-of-turn police promotions

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court delivered a momentous verdict regarding the contentious landscape of promotions in the city’s police department on Tuesday.

The problem of officers being promoted out of turn owing to nepotism within the police force had earlier been raised in the Court, which swore in Chief Justice Ibrahim Khan on Friday. After meditation, the out-of-turn promotions in question have been definitively nullified, and the practice banned.

Furthermore, the Peshawar High Court has legalised the promotions of police cadets and instructors, upholding commitment to meritocratic principles.

In an effort at inclusivity, the promotions of police officers originating from provinces other than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also been authorised.

The court’s judgment extended beyond the issue of promotions as well. While in some cases the Peshawar Police has seen fit to relocate police officers originating from other provinces back to those provinces, the Peshawar High Court has now struck down this measure.

In a bid to enhance equal opportunities for female police officers, the Court has directed the relevant department to revisit cases where female officers were passed over for promotions.

“Consider the Class IV promotions of female officers in the context of the law and this decision,” the Court told the police force on Tuesday.