Proposed police reforms: ‘Former IGP should be part of Cabinet committee’

Police reject some changes on grounds of being against 2002 order


Riaz Ahmad May 06, 2016
Police reject some changes on grounds of being against 2002 order. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

PESHAWAR:


The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police have suggested former K-P IGP Fayyaz Toru should be made a member of the Cabinet committee constituted by the chief minister to review the proposed draft of Police Act, 2016. It also said the final decision will be made after the views of the provincial police head are taken into consideration.


In its detailed written reply to the proposed draft by the home department, the police took the stance that the original Police Order, 2002 could be amended to a degree to make it suitable to local requirements. However, it could not be abandoned altogether as federal laws cannot be changed at provincial level, making it necessary for the new police act to be based on Police Order, 2002.

It also stated amendments proposed by the home department would negatively impact the unity of command and discipline of the force.

Buttressing the stance

Moreover, the police rejected the idea of few proposed changes on the grounds that these were against Police Order, 2002. These included direct recruitment at the level of DSPs in the force (known as provincial police officers), postings and transfers through Public Safety Commission, powers of punishments delegated to any external body as proposed in the draft submitted by the home department and any proposed changes in the role and functions of public safety commission.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a police official said countering militancy along with protecting minorities and their places of worship was the role of law-enforcement agencies and omitting these obligations would make little sense.

“Police have taken the stance that militancy is a major issue faced by the province and for this reason National Action Plan (NAP) has been formulated,” he said. “However, omitting the counter-terrorism department and Elite Force will be contradicting NAP itself.”

The written reply stressed the importance of CTD as a specialised counter-terrorism unit along with Elite Force, fearing elimination of these two units would have a negative impact on counter-terrorism efforts of the police which has rendered countless sacrifices and lost hundreds of personnel since 2002.

The official also said the directorate of training, which has six training schools, is doing a great job at capacity building and its omission despite the fact that promotions have been linked with training courses in the past two and a half years would have deleterious consequences.

Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) in its report recommended that other provinces replicate the model of K-P police in this regard,” the official said. He added the police, in its reply, stressed that the training component was an essential one and should be kept under police control as a vital organ.

Strengthening liaison

On the other hand, Minister for Labour and Mineral Development Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli who is also a member of the Cabinet committee on Police Act, 2016 constituted by the CM, told The Express Tribune they had received the written reply of the police and one meeting of the committee had already been held.

“Our prime objective is the external accountability mechanism in the police force and we are working on it,” she said. She added if need arises, the committee had the power to co-opt anyone in the body to assist the process.

“We have three drafts – one we worked out originally, second which was submitted by the home department and the third that was prepared by former IGPs,” she said.

The minister said the law department had been given the task to do a comparative analysis.

Tahirkheli said it was not the task of the cabinet committee to remove differences between bureaucracy and the police. “Our duty is to act in the interest of the public,” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2016.

COMMENTS (1)

Dr. Abid Shah Mashwani | 7 years ago | Reply Let's hope people appreciate good efforts and not jump to conclusion. Any new procedure or legislation will have deficiencies and these could be removed and improved over time if there is a will to do.
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