KP govt unhappy with police performance

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is unhappy with police performance as poor performance damages the PTI government's reputation. The government is helpless to take action against any official for misconduct. The police take credit for good deeds, while the government is blamed for poor performance.

During Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Peshawar, provincial ministers had raised serious reservations about the performance of the police. The Prime Minister was told that the government cannot hold the police accountable as the government has no authority under the 2017 Police Act. According to sources, the Prime Minister was told that even in high-level transfer and posting, the government is not taken into confidence.

A PTI minister present at the meeting on the condition of anonymity said the provincial government is upset over a few incidents of negligence and misuse of powers. The disciplinary action was taken only against lower-level officials. He quoted the recent incidents of Karak and Tehkal Peshawar which have badly hit the PTI government.

When contacted the Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Sultan Muhammad Khan said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police has made unprecedented sacrifices in the war on terror. KP police are many times better than the police of other provinces but like any other department, there is room for improvement in the police. The provincial government believes that by further improving the police system, it can be made people-friendly.

The Law Minister said that the establishment of an effective body for accountability of the police was being discussed in the provincial cabinet, assembly, and various government meetings.

He said police officers themselves could not hold police officials accountable. The government needs an impartial and neutral body to hold the police accountable.

He said that in the absence of checks and balances, the government is facing criticism. The Chief Minister is the chief executive of the province but he has no authority to question the police even though the government is directly responsible for any untoward incident.

Sultan Khan said that the government has decided to set up an independent accountability body for police accountability through which checks and balances will be maintained on the police. Police are also being engaged in that process and the government appreciates their openness.

“A parliamentary committee can oversee the agency. The government has decided to convene a special cabinet meeting on law and order in the province in which legislation will be decided after consultation with all stakeholders”, he said

He further adds that the government was committed to make the police an efficient and modern people-friendly police for which they were being provided all kinds of resources, He said that the Police Act 2017 was enacted by the previous PTI government in which the police were empowered by eliminating political interference but the A Public Safety Commission could not be set up to hold the police accountable as the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court had refused to join the search and scrutiny committee.

“The KP police's investigation, forensic, intelligence systems, and expertise will be further improved. Resources will also be provided to the police to meet their needs”, he concluded.