PCS officers suggest amendments to proposed Police Act

PESHAWAR: The police officers recruited through the Provincial Civil Service have suggested a number of amendments to the proposed Police Act to safeguard the rights of the cops from all ranks as well as the people and institutions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police has prepared the Police Act that will be tabled in the provincial assembly soon. It was taken up with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan during his recent visit to the Counter Terrorism Department.
The KP Police authorities said this would improve the functions of the force as well as accountability of the officers.
The civilian bureaucracy and the Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers in the police force have expressed some reservations over the act. A committee was recently constituted to discuss points raised by both the officers of the PCS and the Police Service of Pakistan. However, there seems a deadlock over the issue.
Some PCS officers maintained that it seemed all the stakeholders didn’t agree to the proposed Police Act.
“The act has been drafted at the Central Police Office by ‘handpicked’ PSP officers without participation of the PCS officers, Home and Law departments. Consequently the PCS officers approached the provincial government to intervene in the matter as their service rights and fair treatment were being jeopardised,” said the PCS officers in a communiqué sent to The News.
The PCS officers have recently formed the KP Provincial Police Officers Association to safeguard their interest.
“Upon instructions by the provincial government, the IGP formed committees from the PSP and PCS officers to reach a logical conclusion However, the PSP officers do not seem to grant any promotion rights to the PCS officers and are bent upon tabling an act that only protects their rights and absolute control over the provincial police force, over 90 percent of whom are recruited by the province,” claimed the PCS officers.
The communiqué sent by the PCS officers said the provincial government was not given any right to induct direct DSPs, promote its officers beyond grade 18, and have authority to take departmental action against PSP officers and transfer or post senior officers up to additional IGP.
“In fact all these rights are being privileged to the IGP. The provincial government will also surrender its authority to appoint Inspector General of Police,” claimed the PCS cops.
The officers added that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had approved a summary of promotion quota (40 percent for the PCS officers in higher grades up to 21), but the PSP officers are adamant not to include service structure for these officers in the proposed act on the pretext that this matter pertained to the federal government.
“Denial of such rights is against the spirit of the 18thAmendment, which envisages provincial autonomy. Law and order is a provincial subject and such rights of the province are protected by the Constitution,” added a PCS officer.
They demanded that a separate chapter for promotions and seniority of PCS officers in senior grades (18 and above) be included in the act.