PESHAWAR: Both treasury and opposition members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday questioned the PTI government’s claims of reforming the police in the province and insisted the local policemen continued to misuse powers and commit excesses against the people.

It was quite unusual to see both sides of the aisle unite on one issue. They’re often divided on the issues raised in the house.

Deputy speaker Professor Mahar Taj Roghani, who chaired the session, referred two privilege motions, one moved by a cabinet member and the other by opposition MPA, to the house’s relevant committee.

They’re about the alleged breach of the two members’ privilege by the police.

The recent police ordinance, which increased the police’s powers, also came under fire with several lawmakers threatening not to support the passage of the law (ordinance) in the assembly.

Both treasury, Opp say cops misusing authority; they won’t favour more powers for police

All lawmakers wanted to highlight the alleged misuse of power by the police in their respective constituencies as the house began debate on the police’s ‘highhandedness’ after the question hour.

Adviser to the chief minister on transport Shah Mohammad Wazir warned he would boycott the session if the SHO of Miran police station was not suspended for arresting ‘innocent’ people.

“Now, the police are uncontrollable. They consider themselves above the law. I will not support the law, which gives them more power,” he said.

The adviser insisted the Miran police station’s personnel recently arrested a brick kiln worker for smoking cigarette.

“The poor labourer excused he didn’t see police while smoking cigarette but even then, the police used foul language. Afterwards, many policemen came to the area in two vans and raided the house of the labourer and searched his and other houses in the neighbourhood,” he said.

JUI-F MPA Noor Salim Khan insisted Ghani Khel police station SHO Wahid Gul supported extortionists in Lakki Marwat.

He said a contractor building a road in his constituency informed him that an extortionist asked him to pay money.

“The deputy commissioner ordered inquiry into the extortion case at my request and ironically, the inquiry revealed that the local SHO supported extortionists,” he said.

The MPA said the SHO called me on cell and used abusive langue on the complaint.

“I told the SHO that I will lodge a complaint with the IGP against him. However, he retorted he didn’t care even if someone complained against him to the president of Pakistan,” he said.

Azazul Mulk Afkari of Jamaat-i-Islami insisted the ‘police culture’ had not changed in the province.

He said the police should be made an independent department but before that was done, the policemen should be properly trained about how to deal with the people.

“The old culture continues to prevail in all departments,” the treasury member said.

PTI MPA Javed Naseem complained the police had arrested his son a few days ago and put him behind bars for hours.

He said his son was riding an official vehicle, which the police had developed suspicion about.

“I will not support the bill on more powers for police,” he said, adding that those supporting the proposed legislation would be considered the supporters of the police’s highhandedness.

JUI-F MPA Mehmood Bittani said the police had been empowered by the house through different laws and therefore, they should respect lawmakers.

He also said he would oppose the legislation meant to give more powers to the police.

The opposition MPA demanded that the government take the issue of the police’s highhandedness seriously.

PML-N member Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha said a few months ago, the SHO of the Havelian police station behaved badly with parliamentary secretary on law Arif Yousaf.

“Apparently, the police high-ups suspended the SHO to please Arif Yousaf but in reality, the SHO continued to stay put for the next three months,” he said.

Responding to the criticism of lawmakers, public health engineering minister Shah Farman said the police were given more powers to improve their efficiency and not to misuse them. “Necessary amendments should be made to the police law,” he said.

The issue of lack of quorum hit the session three times and thus, finally causing adjournment due to which the house didn’t take up many of the items on the day’s agenda.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2016