Politicians may get responsibility to monitor police performance

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has prepared recommendations for bringing reformations in police forces which would be briefed to Prime Minister Imran Khan by a high-powered committee, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The reformation will be brought into the police departments of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces.

Sources said that a high-powered committee, which was constituted for formulating improvement plans for the police forces, recommended to the department under the bureaucracy. It is also recommended that politicians should be given responsibilities to monitor the performance of police.

Sources added that the questions were raised in the committee’s meetings for the steps to eliminate political influences in police departments. The committee members resolved to establish ‘one window trouble shooter’ headed by deputy commissioner in the provinces.

According to details, 36 offices will be established with the name in the provinces which would work under the supervision of deputy commission. The deputy commission will be given special powers to initiate inquiries and inspections besides utilising public resources.

Moreover, the government will also established Police Complaint Authority in provincial-level which will be given authority to take

suo-moto action against the law enforcers deployed in police stations, as well as high-level officers. The authority will also be responsible to monitor misconduct cases against the policemen and other issues.

Earlier on January 14, the former CJP Mian Saqib Nisar had launched the Police Reforms Committee Report titled ‘Police Reforms: A Way Forward’ at a special SC ceremony.

The report provided some major recommendations to overhaul the policing system.

The recommendations had included redressal of public grievances by establishing complaint redress mechanisms at Central Police Office level, regional levels across all provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory and in other districts.

Similarly, it had been decided to make Provincial Justice Committees operational. The report had also recommended improving the quality of investigation by the establishment of state of the art training institutes and better forensic support.

It included revamping the urban policing by organising the police command in urban districts into eight wings including administration, traffic, operations, law and order, investigations, security, community relations and communications and technology.

The report had also suggested an efficient ‘Alternate Dispute Resolution’ mechanism to reduce the burden on courts.