Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Senior minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Inayatullah Khan, said on Tuesday that the KP government was seriously taking tangible steps to introduce new reforms in order to depoliticise the police department.

He said this while addressing a public forum at Peshawar Press Club, “Ulasi Project for Strengthening Rule of Law in KP”, which was arranged by Central for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). The minister also hoped that Police Reforms Act (PRA) would also be soon passed by the KP assembly after consultation. The KP government, he said, was committed to halting political interference in the police department.

Senior journalist, Rahimullah Yusufzai; Police Projects Coordination Director General , Muhammad Ijaz Khan, and Shams Mohmand of CRSS also spoke on the occasion. He further added that the government would also make police department accountable and operationally autonomous by introducing new laws and bringing about positive changes in the sector. He also said that KP coalition government was taking solid steps and had already made efforts to introduce accountability system in police, local government, health and education aimed at improving good governance in the province.

Khan also said that postings and transfers in police sector were being made by KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) in lieu of other elected representatives. It was also said external and internal accountability system had been adopted as well. However, he informed that some efforts were underway to make police department people’s friendly and accountable for removing trust deficit created between public and police personnel.

PPC Director-General, Muhammad Ijaz Khan, also spoke on the occasion and said that police data had also been digitalized for the first time in the history and every police official could check the record of criminals via cellular phones. “First Information Reports (FIRs) have been computerised aimed at providing accurate data to police department along with facilitating masses” he added.

He also mentioned, “KP police department has taken several initiatives including Dispute Resolution Council (DRC), Police Assistance Lines (PALs), Police Access Service (PAS), SOS Call Service, Online FIR, Complaint Against Police, Police Complaints and Accountability, Intelligence and Investigation Schools to facilitate masses.”

Khan further claimed that several officers including low-rank police personnel had been dismissed over charges against them and “It was an obvious evidence of internal accountability in the department.” He also admitted that trust deficit had widened in the last few years between police and public, largely due to insurgency and uncertainty in the province, however, now the department was focusing on involving community to eliminate mistrusts.

Yusufzai further added that police and army officials had already made history in KP by scarifying their lives in the war against terrorism on leading front role. ” Around 450 police officials along with high-rank officers have been suspended by KP police department and actions against 6500 others policemen have been taken, he shared the statistics and saying the punishment was decided by a special committee, consisting of police officials and others.

“It is an applauding step taken by the police department that it was rewarding police personnel for best performances and also giving punishment for wrong doings” he eulogised.

Backing the appointment of IG Police Nasir Khan Durrani in KP, he clearly said that besides IGP, the other high rank officers should also be deployed from other provinces because they would not get themselves involved in nepotism and favoritism in other provinces. He asked media men to report news relating to shortcomings of police department for the purpose of reforms instead of writing in their favors.