Resentment by officers: Amendments to Police Act 2017 re-drafted

PESHAWAR: A new draft of amendments to the Police Act 2017 has been prepared after resentment expressed by a number of senior police officers over the previous changes to the law approved by the provincial cabinet.

Several officers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police last week held meetings with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati. They expressed concerns over the amendments. However, the cops argued they were not against the democratic oversight of police at any level.

“The new 5-page draft prepared after consultation with the police officers and legal experts has suggested changes to the sections that were amended last week. That included sections related to the postings and transfer of the regional and district police officers, Public Safety Commissions, investigation and complaint authority,” a source told The News.

It was decided after meeting the chief minister that police officers of the province would draft their suggestions for the amendments. The new draft will be discussed by the government and others concerned before tabling it in the KP Assembly for approval.

“Senior police officers have sent the new draft to the government that is to be moved in the KP Assembly after a discussion with all the concerned,” said the source.

The redrafted amendments are yet to be tabled in the KP Assembly.

“It is expedient further to amend the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Act, 2017 (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Act No.11 of 2017) and enhance the democratic oversight over Police in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and for matters connected therewith and ancillary thereto,” stated the new draft of the amendments.

It continued that this act may be called the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police (Amendment) Act, 2024. It shall come into force at once.

“Any directions given by the chief minister in matters related to law and order, shall be complied forthwith,” stated the proposed amendments.

It added that two members of the Provincial Public Safety Commission nominated by the chairman of the Provincial Public Safety Commission may attend the meetings as observer.

“Provided that Regional Police Officer shall be posted with the approval of the chief minister,” stated another proposed amendment.

The district police officers as per the proposed amendments will also be posted with the approval of the chief minister.

A number of senior police officers last week held meetings soon after the approval of amendments by the KP cabinet.

They resented that politicians and bureaucrats kept cops in the dark during the entire process only to introduce amendments of choice.

Some officers had even threatened that they would leave the province if the bill was passed. According to police officers, instead of political control, the new amendments were aimed at strict bureaucratic control of the police, reducing the 90,000-strong force to a directorate-level entity or Khasadar force.

“The Police Act 2017 was prepared after three years of hard work, taking all stakeholders on board. It was a consensus document and objections by bureaucracy were properly addressed, “ said one of the police officers.

The incumbent provincial government in KP along with the officers of different cadres was planning amendments to the Police Act 2017 for the last many months, especially to clip back the wings of the IGP.

There was also a proposal to set up an inspectorate at the Civil Secretariat to oversee the affairs of the KP Police.