K-P moves to abolish 3 MPO Ordinance

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has initiated efforts to abolish the 3 MPO (Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance), and the Action in Aid of Civil Power Regulation in the province.

Members of the provincial assembly, after raising concerns about the use of the 3 MPO in some districts, agreed to form a joint committee to work on repealing these laws.

The provincial assembly session on Friday was chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.

Sajjad Khan, an elected member from Kohistan, raised a point of order. He highlighted that a road in Kohistan has been blocked for four days and that the provincial government has taken no action.

He said the issue has persisted since 2013, with WAPDA repeatedly violating agreements. Although an agreement in 2022 allowed the installation of a transmission line, it has yet to be implemented. Sajjad Khan noted that people in Kohistan sacrificed their lands and graves for dam projects, but were subjected to the 3 MPO in one district, with plans to impose it in two others. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the 3 MPO and called for a committee to resolve the issue with WAPDA.

Speaker Swati acknowledged that this is not just a Kohistan issue but a national one, criticising the 3 MPO as a remnant of colonial rule. He called for actions to abolish such "cursed laws" and proposed summoning WAPDA officials to address assembly members directly.

Special Assistant Sohail Afridi stressed that demands for net hydel profits have been ongoing and assured that the government would take serious action. He noted that the "Action in Aid of Civil Power Act" was introduced in 2011 during the PPP-ANP government and extended across the province after the FATA merger in 2019. Afridi labeled these as "black laws" and vowed to abolish them.

Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi emphasised the need to adhere to agreements and suggested democratic dialogue instead of imposing the 3 MPO. He assured the assembly that he would discuss the issue with the Chief Minister to resolve it. He also called for a committee representing all parties to work on repealing these oppressive laws through legislation.

PPP parliamentary leader Ahmed Kundi stressed that constitutional adherence requires taking matters from the streets to the assembly. He called for a parliamentary committee to correct legal procedures and hold deputy commissioners accountable for imposing the 3 MPO without proper authority. Speaker Swati pointed out that the 3 MPO was introduced during martial law in 1960 and protected under Article 272 of the 1973 Constitution.