Summary KP government prepares Police Act amendments to control key police appointments, establish oversight, and strengthen provincial authority over policing matters.
LAHORE (Web Desk) - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to amend the Police Act 2017, with a draft prepared to give the province authority to appoint the provincial Inspector General of Police (IGP).
According to sources, the proposed amendments would also empower the chief minister to appoint and transfer Regional Police Officers (RPOs) and District Police Officers (DPOs), similar to the authority exercised over bureaucratic appointments.
The proposed amendments also envisage establishing a Public Safety Commission to oversee policing in the province.
Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam said the government was introducing improvements to the Police Act 2017, stressing that policing was a provincial subject and not a federal domain.
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.
