PESHAWAR, Dec 31: A separate directorate of prosecution is to start functioning from Jan 1, 2001 (Tuesday) in the NWFP, but the government has yet not issued a notification for the appointment of officials on key posts including the director- general.

It is learnt that under a recent notification issued by the NWFP government, prosecution branch has been separated from police department and turned into a separate directorate.

In the new setup, adopted in line with the implementation of police reforms in the province, the directorate will be headed by a director-general. Under the director-general, a director, deputy director, assistant director, and prosecutors would function. Until Monday evening the awaited notification for the appointment of a director-general and other officials has not been issued.

Sources informed that the notification had been awaiting signature of the concerned officer. Moreover, the government has yet to declare any premises as the directorate of prosecution.

Previously, the prosecution branch was functioning under the inspector general of police. However, in the ongoing police reforms it was envisaged that prosecution should be separated from the police in order to bring transparency in dealing with cases in courts of law.

Sixty-six prosecution inspectors and sub-inspectors will work in the directorate, but their nomenclature has been changed. The prosecution inspectors and sub-inspectors will be called as deputy and assistant prosecutor respectively. Also, the additional public prosecutors appointed by the provincial Public Service Commission would also work in the directorate.

The additional public prosecutors will be in garde 17, deputy prosecutors in grade 16, and assistant prosecutors will be in grade 14.