Wide salary disparity between capital, provincial police

KARACHI: With the entire country afflicted by continued terrorism, lawlessness, target killing and corruption, police officials who are supposed to enforce the law are facing unfair financial disparities. Policemen in the federal capital Islamabad are getting more than double the salaries and other benefits compared to their counterparts in the four provinces. Because of this gap, the provincial police officials are feeling aggrieved.

The difference in the monthly salaries and allowances between the DIGs, ASIs, head constables and constables of Islamabad and other cities is very stark and wide. This gap is creating concern and anxiety among the provincial police officials who are equals of their Islamabad counterparts in fighting against terrorism and maintaining law and order throughout the country.

A study conducted by The News/Jang in large cities including Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Peshawar and Islamabad revealed that the difference in salaries of the police officials of Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar is nominal and very small. But a constable of Islamabad police is getting Rs 35,000 salary per month which is equal to police inspectors in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.

A police inspector in Islamabad, however, gets Rs 98,000 per month, which is higher than the salary of a DIG in Karachi who gets Rs 95,027 per month.

The News/Jang survey report discloses that at present the Islamabad police is getting the highest salaries while the Rawalpindi police is at number two. Police officials in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar are getting almost the same amount as each other per month.

According to the survey, an Islamabad constable gets Rs 35,000, one in Rawalpindi Rs 21,000, Lahore Rs 21,020, Karachi Rs 20,034, Quetta Rs 17,735 and Peshawar Rs 17,400 per month.

Likewise, an Islamabad head constable gets Rs 40,000, his Rawalpindi counterpart Rs 28,000, Lahore Rs 21,196, Quetta Rs17,732 and Peshawar Rs 18,500 per month.

The monthly salary of an Islamabad ASI is Rs 46,000, Rawalpindi Rs 31,000, Lahore Rs 22,287, Karachi Rs 21,585, Quetta Rs 21,402 and Peshawar Rs 21,300.

An Islamabad sub-inspector (SI) gets Rs 63,000 per month, Rawalpindi Rs 43,000, Lahore Rs 30,092, Karachi Rs 27,985, Quetta Rs 27,880 and Peshawar Rs25,000.

In the same way, a police Inspector in Islamabad gets Rs 98,000 per month salary while the same official in Rawalpindi gets Rs 47,000, Lahore Rs 36,696, Karachi Rs 37,815, Quetta 41,088 and Peshawar Rs 30,000.

The number of policemen and officers in Punjab stands at 177,660 and the police department has demanded from the Punjab government over Rs 56 billion as its annual budget. However, the Punjab government provided Rs 52 billion for the department.

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