New year, new solutions: K-P EC act to be revamped

PESHAWAR:

To improve the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission and expedite its functions, the government is set to issue an ordinance amending the law behind the commission. Some of these changes include devolving some of the EC director generals powers and abstaining from arresting the suspect in the enquiry phase.

According to officials privy to the matter, the government has prepared a draft of the ordinance to amend the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission Act 2014. It is pending approval of the provincial cabinet and is scheduled to be discussed at the Cabinet Room in Peshawar on Thursday (today).

As the K-P Assembly is not in session, the government is making the amendments to the law through an ordinance.

A committee of the K-P Cabinet, headed by Senior Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan, proposed the changes into the law. The committee comprises Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai, Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif Khan, among others.

“We want to make Ehtesab Commission more transparent and further streamline its functions,” the education minister told The Express Tribune. He said the draft would be discussed in the cabinet meeting. Therefore, he could not say what the future of the commission wpuld be. “We are not making big changes but have tried to address the complaints the people have,” he said, adding many complaints were received stating the commission affected different government departments. “There should be an organisation that can make the commission accountable and charge the offenders,” he said.

An official of the law department, requesting anonymity, said the draft of the ordinance barred the commission from arresting an accused while his or her case is at the enquiry stage.

“No arrests will be made during the enquiry. However, if needed, the person can be arrested after the case reaches the investigation phase,” the official said, explaining that if the commission thinks the person may flee the country during investigation, then it can arrest the person.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th,  2016.