Dadu District is famous for its political and social activism. Like the rest of Sindh and the whole of Pakistan this social and political activism has gradually waned and replaced with opportunism and greed. The marginalized people’s rights were protected by politically conscious and socially active political workers and pressure groups from the powerful nexus of feudal and officialdom. But since the 1990s power politics first inflicted central leadership of the political parties and it trickled down to local leaders and workers. With rare exceptions, everybody wanted position, power and wealth.
The public suffered and this suffering is intensifying with the passage of time. In this milieu different corrupt and criminal mafias emerged and they have become movers and shakers of the system. These mafias have strong political links and they fiercely resist any public servant’s action to perform his/her duty honestly.
Transfer of government officers is common and considered normal practice all around the world including in Sindh and Pakistan. But the frequency of transfers is speedier in Dadu District. A category of public servants is those who resist all temptations and pressure and work according to the rules of the game. They take on the mafia and make their lives difficult. These kinds of officers become popular among the public but when the same officers are punished for their public service and honesty the poor working class is unable to protect them from the wrath of the powerful status quo as working people have no organized setup or time to stand up in support of such kind officers.
According to social media postings, the recent casualty is an upright officer SSP Irfan Samoon. Within months of his posting, Irfan Samoo brought normalcy and restored public confidence in the law.
Perhaps the reason behind his purported transfer might be the criminal mafia and different kinds of criminal gangs who have found their nefarious activities completely hampered. Thus it is strongly speculated that those powerful political masters of the criminal mafia might be behind reported transfer of SSP Irfan Samoon. What is missing is the absence of active and responsible citizens who in the past used to come out with public to strongly protest against the possible transfer of public-friendly officers.
GULSHER PANHWER
JOHI
