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Tuesday December 17, 2024

KP govt considers introducing reforms in Special Branch

By Javed Aziz Khan
March 21, 2021

PESHAWAR: The government is considering introducing major reforms in the Special Branch, including putting it under the chief minister, as a meeting has been called in the coming week, a source told The News.

A source said that a meeting of all the stakeholders has been called to discuss three major points including the KP Independent Police Complaint Authority, KP Inspectorate of Criminal Justice Services and Reforms in Special Branch.

The source said that the federal and provincial governments have been considering police reforms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab for long under which the Special Branch was to be put directly under the command of the chief minister.

The Special Branch, the intelligence wing of the police force, currently works under the supervision of the inspector general of police (IGP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and other provinces. An additional IGP or a senior DIG normally heads SB and reports to the provincial police officer.

Senior police officials were against the idea of putting SB under the control of CM instead of the IGP.

"The bureaucracy in haste is embarking upon a so-called reform agenda based on limited debate and limited or no empirical data," a senior police official, requesting anonymity, told The News.

He added the KP Police Act 2017 has been appreciated by the public and has had tangible results in improving police service delivery. "Two of its most important tools of accountability through democratic oversight have been put on hold deliberately by the KP bureaucracy though police time and again asked to move forward with the Public Safety Commission and Regional Complaints Authority," said the official.

He argued the Special Branch was an integral part of police like Operation or Investigations wings which is being taken by the local bureaucracy to limit the policing capacity.

"The SB is a specialized security apparatus. It will be advisable to implement these reforms in some other province first as KP was much appreciated for its police reforms even by the incumbent government when it was ruling KP," said the cop.

The reforms in the KP and Punjab Police were under consideration for over a year. A source said that a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in September 2019 discussed various laws, including reforms in the police force and district and divisional administrations, especially in Punjab and KP.

“Place Special Branch directly under the chief minister,” stated the para 14 of the record note of the meeting that was sent to the federal and provincial government departments. The meeting also discussed a democratic accountability mechanism of police through the cabinet sub-committee on law and order.

The source said the meeting decided that standards regarding arrest, detention and questioning of persons by the police, identification of suspects, search and seizure and operation of roadblocks would be laid down by the provincial government for which the relevant provision in the police order would be amended accordingly with due regard to due process and fair trial requirements. This decision was made following complaints of highhandedness of police across the country.

“Besides, an independent and autonomous Police Complaint Authority with regional presence is to be formed to redress public grievances against police excesses. Provincial governments to repeal provisions regarding public safety commissions in the police order and bring separate law establishing independent external inspectorates and to take remedial measures and remove deficiencies and issues,” a source disclosed from the record note of the meeting.