Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar-led Punjab government has softly declined to implement the police reforms package that was approved by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan ahead of his departure for Saudi Arabia and the United States (US), The News reported.
According to reports, the Punjab government through the Interior Ministry was recently asked to implement the reforms package, however, the provincial administration has expressed reservations over certain measures approved by the premier “without proper consultation with the stakeholders”.
The premier has reportedly given a go-ahead to the home departments to “take over control of the police” in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad. Under the new system, the major functions of the police would be performed by the deputy commissioners (DCs) who have been given judicial powers of 22A and 22B besides the authority to inspect police stations.
While the federal government wanted the implementation of these reforms in Punjab through an ordinance by September 30, the provincial government has assigned a high-level committee to review the reforms package for police and return to centre with its recommended changes.
The report further said that the committee will be headed by the Punjab law minister and include three provincial ministers, chief secretary, inspector general of police (IGP), an ex-chief secretary and a retired IGP.
It has been tasked with completing its deliberations within a week.
“Following a presentation from the interior secretary, the reforms package was given a go-ahead by the PM. While the Punjab law minister was present during the presentation, neither the CM nor the IGP was there,” the report quoted sources as saying.
COPS UNHAPPY WITH REFORMS:
Meanwhile, officers of the Police Service of Pakistan as well as Punjab Police are “very upset with the way the reforms package was approved by the premier”.
Reacting to the reforms, senior officers of Punjab Police held a meeting at the Central Police Office on Wednesday night and threatened that they would resign, Dawn reported.
The police officers stated categorically that they “would prefer to leave their services rather than allowing the bureaucracy to take over the police department”. They unanimously rejected the new scheme which, they said, was an attempt of the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) to bring police under its control.
Reports quoted an official as saying that the participants of the meeting decided to take up the matter with CM Buzdar and parliamentarians to highlight their reservations.
Senior policemen authorised the IGP to meet the CM and bring to his knowledge their concerns. They also decided to present “factual situation” regarding the “failure” of the DCs on many fronts.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Raja Basharat held a meeting with the IGP and other senior police officers who apprised him of their concerns. The law minister assured the IGP and other senior police officers that he would play his role in addressing their legitimate demands by taking these up with the chief minister.
