ABBOTTABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Thursday said the provincial police’s performance had improved in all spheres over the last few years but there was still a lot to be done to end the ‘thana culture’ in the province for which the force had to put in more efforts.

He said this here at the Jalal Baba Auditorium after inaugurating the traffic warden system and tourism policing for Abbottabad district and launching the Rescue 1122 service for Abbottabad and Galiyat.

The CM said the upgradation of police posts was in the pipeline and that was likely to happen in two months.

Launches traffic warden system, tourism policing in Abbottabad

“We have depoliticised the police force. Now, they (police) are free to perform duties diligently. We have given them all the possible support to enhance their capabilities, which is not paying off,” he said.

Mr Khattak said the police deserved praise for their sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and crime.

He said tourism policing in Abbottabad, Kaghan and Naran areas was a new concept.

“Now, the police will be seen in different roles by offering security services to tourists. They will act against the criminals targeting tourists bound areas of Abbottabad, Naran and Kaghan areas,” he said.

The CM said the government had brought in the New Police Act to improve the services of the police and was committed to reforming the force altogether.

“The police are now working under one umbrella along with other law-enforcement agencies. The collaboration, especially the sharing of information and intelligence, has led to the significant improvement in the performance of the police. The people should now be proud of our police,” he said.

Mr Khattak said under the New Police Act, safety commissions were to be established across the province under the supervision of the high court chief justice.

He added that similar commissions would be made at the district level to monitor the performance of the police by involving the people of good repute.

“We will make the police answerable to the respective district councils,” he said.

The CM said a new mechanism had been put in place to hear complaints against the police to hold the policemen accountable for their actions and thus, improving their performance.

He said an online system to lodge complaints against the police had been launched.

Mr Khattak said during his recent visit to China, 20 tourism projects for the province were identified and approved under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

Earlier, provincial police chief Salahuddin Khan Mehsud and DIG of Hazara police Mohammad Saeed Khan highlighted the salient features of the traffic wardens and tourism policing system.

They said the Karakoram Highway was the only road, which linked the six districts of Hazara division with northern areas, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country.

The officials said the traffic warden system was launched to ease traffic congestion.

They said 83 officials controlled traffic affairs in Abbottabad district but under the new system, their number had been increased to 773.

The officials said the government had allocated Rs630.7 million for the warden system and that the money would be released soon.

They said wardens would hold mobile workshops, issue mobile licences and create public awareness of traffic rules besides managing traffic.

The officials said tourist police service centres would be established in Nathiagali and Naran areas.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2017