March 07, 2007	Wednesday	Safar 17, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, March 6: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has curtailed powers of the National Public Safety Commission (NPSC), eliminating its role in affairs of police in provinces, according to government sources.

The powers of the NPSC, including its right to nominate three senior police officials in all provinces for the selection of Provincial Police Officer (inspector-general), had been taken back under a recently-promulgated presidential ordinance, the sources told Dawn.

Besides, the participation of opposition members in Provincial Public Safety Commissions (PPSCs) and District Public Safety Commissions (DPSCs) has also been reduced.

The sources said that before the promulgation of the ordinance, the NPSC had the power to nominate three senior officials for the post of PPO in all provinces.

However, the provinces opposed the NPSC’s involvement in the appointment of the PPO and termed it an act against the provincial autonomy.

When contacted, Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, a National Assembly lawmaker and opposition member in the NPSC, said that earlier the strength of members of opposition and treasury benches in the PPSCs and DPSCs was equal, but the ordinance had brought down the opposition’s representation to 33 per cent.

“Now the opposition has no say in decision-making in police affairs at provincial and district levels,” he said.

In a related development, members of the NPSC met here at the National Police Bureau (NPB) headquarters and discussed different issues,, especially over-crowded jails in the country.

The meeting was presided over by former interior minister Lt-Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider due to the absence of the NPSC chairman and interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao who is suffering from a foot injury.

It was attended by commission’s Secretary and Director-General of NPB Dr Shaoib Suddle, MNAs Ishrat Ashraf, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Ghulam Rasool Sahi, Shabina Talat and Sher Akbar Khan.

Dr Shoaib Suddle gave a detailed presentation about the role of law-enforcement agencies and the overall law and order situation in the country.

The commission was of the view that jails in the country had been filled with accused involved in different cases. It suggested that the accused should be kept in judicial lock-ups and not in central or district jails.

The commission suggested a detailed survey to evaluate the exact condition of jails in the country so that a future strategy for reforms could be made.

Lt-Gen Moiuddin Haider said that about 80 per cent jail inmates were under-trial prisoners.

“If any of them is declared innocent by a court of law today and acquitted of the case, he would have already been accustomed to bad habits acquired during his stay in jail,” he said.

Dr Suddle said that all SHOs were empowered to grant bail to the accused or release them on parole but usually they did not exercise these powers and this had led to an extra burden of inmates in jails.