Shafaqna Pakistan: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to amend the Police Act 2017, with a draft proposal seeking to grant the province authority to appoint the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Sources said the proposed changes would also empower the chief minister to appoint and transfer Regional Police Officers (RPOs) and District Police Officers (DPOs), giving the provincial government powers similar to those exercised in bureaucratic appointments.
The amendments further propose the creation of a Public Safety Commission to oversee policing affairs across the province.
Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam said the government was seeking to improve the Police Act 2017, emphasising that policing was a provincial subject and did not fall under federal jurisdiction.
He said the government was strengthening checks and balances over the police to prevent the misuse of powers.
The law minister further claimed that the Peshawar High Court had taken away the province’s authority over the transfers of RPOs and DPOs through an unconstitutional decision. He said the proposed changes would not curtail police powers but would make the system more effective.
It may be recalled that the Peshawar High Court had struck down amendments concerning the posting and transfer of RPOs and DPOs and restored the relevant powers to the IGP.
Source: Dunya News
