ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhry on Thursday expressed severe reservations over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approved Police Act 2026 saying provinces cannot create their own military or police forces outside the constitutional and legal framework.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry stated that according to the Constitution and law, the rules governing the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) cannot be unilaterally altered by a provincial administration. He emphasized that the command structure of a police force that has made immense sacrifices in the war against terrorism cannot be compromised.
It merits mention here that KP cabinet approved the draft Police Act 2026 a day earlier. The proposed law seeks to increase the provincial government’s powers over police policy, administrative, operational and financial matters, including the appointment of the provincial police chief.
Under the proposed law, the federal government would send a panel of three officers to the provincial government for the appointment of the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The provincial government would have the option to select one officer from the panel or reject the entire panel.
The draft also proposes changes to the powers relating to the appointment and transfer of Regional Police Officers (RPOs) and District Police Officers (DPOs). These powers are proposed to be placed under the Chief Minister and the Home Department. Criticising the proposed legislation, Chaudhry said the changes were contrary to the Constitution and PSP rules. He claimed that the draft did not merely reduce the powers of the IGP but affected the entire police command structure.
He further said the Chief Minister had retained the authority over appointments from the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to Inspector General of Police. Chaudhry questioned how the police would effectively fight terrorism under such an arrangement and whether police officers would look towards political representatives instead of their own command structure.
He added that all provincial chief ministers already had the authority to give directions and hold consultations regarding police appointments. Experts say that a key point of contention is the appointment mechanism for the Inspector General of Police (IGP). Under the proposed KP draft, the federal government would send a panel of three officers to the provincial government, which would then hold the authority to either select one officer or completely reject the entire panel.
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