PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and police have finalised a comprehensive plan for police reforms in order to completely eliminate political intervention and uphold accountability.
According to provincial government sources, planning has been given final touches for the setting up of Provincial Public Safety Commission to monitor the function of the force. The chief justice of Peshawar High Court would head a scrutiny committee that would select the head and members of the safety commission in order to ensure its autonomous status.
The commission would consist of eighteen members, including the chairman. There would be four members of the provincial assembly, two each from the government and opposition while eight independent members would consist of a retired high court judge, a retired major general, a retired BPS 21 or above civil servant, retired BPS 21 or above police officer, two members of the civil society and one each from minorities and female category.
The Provincial Public Safety Commission would be assisted by the Regional Complaint Authority, District Public Safety Commission, local bodies and criminal justice coordination committee.
The Provincial Public Safety Commission would review police performance twice a year, review the annual provincial policing plan, conduct inquiries on complaints against senior police officers, decide on the issue of premature transfer of police officers and act as an observer in centralised purchases.
The commission would supervise working of district safety commissions and regional complaints authorities, assist police in redressal of their issues/grievances, recommend new laws, submit annual police performance report to the chief minister and provincial assembly and act as an appellate body on all points of contention for all the commissions, authorities and district assemblies regarding police matters.
The District Public Safety Commission to be headed by a sessions judge would also include the district government chairman and a nominee of the provincial government and would be tasked to inspect police stations for unlawful detention, initiate a process of inquiry and an in-district procurement of Rs500,000 and above.
Another tier in the system will be Regional Police Complaint Authority. It would be headed by a retired judge and include a retired government servant in grade BS-21 or above and one member from the private sector having relevant experience.
On the other hand, the KP Assembly passed three government bills including the KP Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplaces (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
The house also passed the KP Establishment of Information Technology Board (Amendment) Bill, 2018, and the KP Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2018.