KP House ransacking: Opposition slams government for not lodging FIR

PESHAWAR: Opposition members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Wednesday slammed the provincial government for not lodging First Information Report (FIR) against those who had conducted a raid on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad and allegedly ransacked some properties there.

The 11-member Special Committee of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly presented its preliminary report in the House. It was constituted under the chairmanship of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Member Provincial Assembly Munir Ahmad Laghmani.

Members from the treasury and opposition benches were also included in the committee to investigate, and review issues related to the alleged attack by the law enforcing agencies, including Islamabad Police and Rangers on the KP House on October 4.

The committee chairman informed the House that the committee was interviewing relevant people and observing circumstantial evidence about the alleged attack on KP House in Islamabad.

However, opposition MPA Ahmad Karim Kundi, who is also parliamentary party leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, said that if the treasury benches believed that criminal trespass had been committed by certain elements and forces, then the provincial government must lodge an FIR against the people involved in the attack on the KP House.

Speaker Babar Saleem Swati also questioned that if a criminal act had been committed, then the provincial government should register FIR as Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had admitted that he was present and witnessed ransacking of the certain forces on the KP House.

In his ruling, the speaker said that FIR should be registered in Islamabad and Peshawar as well.

However, he advised the committee to complete its investigation and present a final report in the House.

Provincial Minister for Law Aftab Alam tabled a bill on amendments to the Police Act 2017 where some changes to the act approved by the PTI government in 2017 had been suggested.

The bill, if passed, will curtail certain powers of the provincial police chief whereas elected representatives will be included in the commission that will deal with matters related to police force in the province.

The establishment of an Independent Police Complaint Authority has also been suggested in the proposed Bill. The session was adjourned till Thursday 3.00 PM.