PESHAWAR: In order to bring a positive change in the Thana culture and ensure prompt settlement of petty issues, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Department on Thursdaylaunched Dispute Resolution Council in the provincial metropolis. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nasir Khan Durrani launched the pilot project at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines.In his inaugural address, the police chief said the council had been formed in light of the Quranic injunctions. He said there were advantages of the present criminal justice system, but there were less chances for problems’ resolution of the common man. The KP police chief said the police could not achieve targets without people’s cooperation. “The purpose of Dispute Resolution Council is to peacefully resolve the petty issues among people. This new system of dispute resolution would bring lasting peace and a revolutionary change in our society,” Nasir Khan Durrani said, adding that people would also get rid of the police stations and courts for justice and dispute resolution. About the project, he said the KP police started it fromPeshawar as pilot project and later it would be introduced in every police station of the province. The system of the Dispute Resolution Council was launched from Gulbahar Police Station for theentire Peshawar division. The council would be responsible for amicable resolution of disputes, fact-finding inquiries and acting as jury in the conduct of contested investigations. All the complaints and applications submitted before the police shall be forwarded to these councils. Similarly, any person who is desirous of getting his case/issue referred to these councils may submit his application before his concerned SDPO, SP or SSP. The officials said that as per the project, each police station shall have a 22-member council comprising respected non-political and noncontroversial intellectuals, retired civil and armed forces officers, educationists, businessmen and lawyers. They said the council shall further be divided into seven panels comprising three members each. The council members shall select one registrar from amongst themselves and the registrar shall be responsible for assignment of applications to panels, coordination among council members and ensuring smooth functioning of all seven panels. Each council will have a seasoned upper subordinate of Police Department attached with it as police coordinator and would be responsible for service of summons and ensuring attendance of both parties before the panels, providing legal guidance to the panels and ensuring that the council members do not transgress their mandate or the prevalent laws of the land.
