PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police department has demanded of the provincial government to provide Rs150 million additional funds to it in the current fiscal for effective criminal investigations.

The funds were sought through the approval of the draft Standing Order 2020 meant to revise standard operating procedures and investigation costs.

The development came during a meeting, which discussed budgetary requirement of the police department and reforms process here on Friday.

Provincial inspector general of police Dr Sanaullah Abbasi chaired the meeting.

A statement issued here said the Standing Order 2020 would provide ‘relief to the victims of crimes and help achieve justice outcomes’.

Policing initiatives reviewed in meeting chaired by IGP

The officials told the meeting that the police department required Rs150 million as additional investigation costs during the current fiscal.

Dr Abbasi called for the advance provision of funds to investigation officers to prevent hurdles to effective investigation.

The meeting also approved the creation of a specialised function of the police investigators with a degree in law or equivalent qualification in criminal or forensic sciences, who will get one-year extensive training on modern investigation techniques.

It also approved a proposal to increase fuel limit for police station vehicles.

The officials told participants that the existing fuel policy was approved in 2009 and it didn’t cater to the department’s current patrolling and operational needs.

The meeting decided that a new fuel authorisation policy needed to be approved for police vehicles as at least 600 litres for a vehicle per month was needed at the police station level.

The officials said the enhanced fuel costs for police stations across the province amounted to Rs700 million for the current fiscal.

Dr Abbasi directed the officials to draft the policy and put it up to the government for approval.

The meeting also decided to provide vehicles to police stations on the basis of population falling its jurisdiction and prevalent crime rate.

The officials said the police department required Rs1.5 billion to procure 428 single-cabin vehicles in the current fiscal.

The meeting also decided to take up the issue of greater financial autonomy of the police department with the provincial authorities.

The officials told the meeting that the insufficient financial powers at various hierarchical levels in the department made the funds utilisation difficult and slow.

The meeting decided to take up the issue with the provincial government to enhance the financial powers of police officers in Schedule-III of the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules, 2018.

The officials said the department would also request the finance department to allow access to the financial accounting and budgeting system to enable prompt amendments of the budget.

They said Rs3.9 billion kept as lump sum amount with the finance department could be allocated to appropriate heads under the spending of direction as the practice was keeping lump sum funds was only practiced in KP.

The meeting also reviewed initiatives for bringing improvement in policing, including cultural change in inspections, strengthening investigations through better use of forensics in homicides and sexual offences, victim support service and drafting of protocols for power of arrest.

KP police chief Dr Sanaullah Abbasi told Dawn that he appreciated the view of the committee. He said the police were accountable to elected representatives over the use of taxpayers’ money for the protection of people’s life and honour.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2020