LAHORE: Badly affected by the demotion of thousands of Punjab police officials in the light of a Supreme Court decision, the Punjab government is reportedly filing a review petition in the apex court which, if allowed, would benefit only a few of those who were given genuine out-of-turn promotions.

A total of around 9,000 Punjab police officials were demoted as a result of the recently implemented court orders which were given in 2013 mainly against out-of-turn promotions in Sindh. Punjab had never implemented the orders which it had to after a junior official, denied such promotion by the then Gujranwala RPO, approached the Supreme Court for relief in 2015. The court in turn reminded the province of its earlier order with direction to follow it.

Those given out-of-turn promotions and then demoted include 20 SPs and above officers, including DIG Akhtar Umar Hayat Laleka, who was basi-cally an inspector in traffic police, 65 DSPs and thousands of other junior ranl(ing officials.

Senior officials informed Dawn on Tuesday that the petition if allowed would only benefit around 50 to 70 policemen who were given genuine gallantry-based promotions or they were promoted as a result of court directions.

`There are three categories of the affected officials those rewarded for their chivalry, those promoted according to court orders, and the rest. We can only request the government to give relief to those who were genuinely given out of turn promotions,` a senior official said.

Sources said that the Supreme Court orders were given basically in view of illegal promotions in Sindh police. In one instance a clerk of the forest department was promoted to the rank of DSP.

In Punjab, the court orders were not implemented in the first instance. And when they had to be followed, they created seismic affect in the junior field ranks. For example, the orders rocked the Lahore CIA where the gogetters at senior positions were pushed back tojuniorranks.

A senior officer in the IGPs`s office said the demotions had affected the department a great deal. Luckilythere had been no major street crime or terrorism ever since the demotions.

But there had been signs of reluctance and dismay. And the absence of the leaders in the field formations too had been felt badly.

The official said the demoted included those who laid their lives in the line of duty recently or many years ago.

ASI Ehsan who had killed Chiddi and Sabir Jutt, two feared Lahore killers and extortionists, in a genuine encounter held in Shahdara in 1986-87 despite being hit twice by their bullets, was promoted to the next rank by then SSP Rana Maqbool, who retired IGP, in recognition of his gallantry.

Ehsan, who is nearing retirement, was working as a DSP in Muridke when demoted again as an ASI, the position he held when he risked his life in1986-87.

`The withdrawal of the promotions given in recognition of chivalry has demoralized police which are a fighting force. Bravery without any reward or fear of its withdrawal should be a matter of concern,` the of ficial said.

He said that the demotions had raised the questions of downward adjustments of salaries, pensions and social status enjoyed for many years by the af fected of ficials.