ISLAMABAD - The deadline for posting of the new inspector general of Sindh police has expired and now the federal government may post man of its own choice as new IGP under the agreement of 1993 between federal and provincial governments.
However any such move may compel Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to come against the federal government. Former President Asif Ali Zardari a few days ago issued a statement against Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif, prima facie on the issue of posting of new IGP Sindh.
Sources believe that Prime Minister Sharif will not invite the wrath of PPP at this moment.
The federal government wrote a letter to Chief Secretary Sindh and proposed three names on July 3, for the slot of inspector general of Sindh police, asking it to finalise a name among three including Ex-IGP Punjab Khan Baig, Additional IG Sindh Police Rafique Hassan and Additional IGP Sindh Mir Zubair Mahmood.
The controversy over the appointment of new IGP Sindh has been persisting between the Centre and provincial government since Ex-IGP Iqbal Mahmmod’s removal from his office by the provincial government and appointment of Ghulam Qadir Jamali as acting IGP Sindh. The Sindh government removed Iqbal Mahmmod without taking the federal government into confidence and ordered him to report to the establishment division.
The Sindh government wants to appoint Fayyaz Laghari as new IGP Sindh but the federal government is a hurdle in the appointment of Laghari. PM Sharif visited Karachi last week and chaired a high-level meeting regarding the law and order situation in the port city but he did not indicate the provincial government to appoint Laghari as new IGP.
On the other side, a few members of provincial cabinet are putting pressure on the federal government for the appointment of Lagahari as new police chief of Sindh.
Well-placed Source within establishment division told The Nation that period of 15 days has passed and the federal government has now the right to appoint new IGP Sindh among the purposed three PSP officers. He said that Sindh government has not finalised name among three proposed names. He said that the federal government can appoint new IGP within a few days but the situation is different in this case because two different political parties are ruling in the Centre and province.
He mentioned that the federal government may send another reminder to Sindh government to finalise one name and inform Centre for the appointment. He said the federal government does not want to make the appointment of IGP as a political issue and therefore it has not given straight directions in this case. 
The source informed that appointment of chief secretary and IGP of any province is a federal subject and the Centre and provinces agreed on the both appointments under the Moin Qureshi formula in 1993 for avoiding the controversies between the Centre and provinces. He said that the removal of ex-IGP was illegal and Sindh government violated the apex court’s judgement in Anita Turab case and the court has bound the government that it cannot remove the government officer before completion of his tenure unless any valid reasons are given.