PESHAWAR: A special parliamentary committee, constituted to probe the recent police and parliamentary Rangers’ “attack” on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad, has ordered the provincial administration secretary to initiate criminal proceedings against all those involved.

“A letter has been sent to the administration secretary to initiate criminal proceedings against all those involved in the Oct 6 KP House raid. The advocate general will help him with the registration of FIRs in Peshawar and Islamabad,” committee chairman Munir Hussain Laghmani told the provincial assembly on Wednesday.

The 11-strong panel was formed by the house on Oct 7 after condemnations against the KP House attack poured in from both the treasury and opposition.

The assembly also passed a resolution, demanding action against law-enforcement agencies for trespassing on the KP House in pursuit of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, who got there after leading PTI activists from KP to the Jinnah Avenue in Islamabad on the call of detained partyfounder Imran Khan.

Tells house that advocate general will help register FIRs in Peshawar, Islamabad

Mr Gandapur told lawmakers that he was present at the KP House when the raid was carried out by Islamabad police and Rangers.

During Wednesday’s session chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Mr Laghmani laid his committee’s report on the raid before the house, which adopted it.

He also said that the committee intended to quiz staff members of the KP House, while all lawmakers, who were present during the raid, should produce the relevant information for action.

The committee chairman said the panel, in its first meeting, also decided to look into the opposition’s claim about the handover of Fata House to the Inter-Services Intelligence during the last PTI-led government in the centre.

“We will also check why the police didn’t register an FIR immediately after the attack on the KP House,” he said.

Mr Laghmani said the raid was not only a criminal act but also an attack on KP.

Lawmaker of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party Ahmad Karim Kundi said several things came up during the parliamentary committee’s two meetings that led to the issuance of instructions to authorities.

He said that the panel also thoroughly discussed the proposal of deploying the provincial force to protect the KP House in future.

The MPA said that the committee recommended registration of cases against those who conducted the raid “regardless of its results.”

He said that the committee empowered the administration secretary to initiate criminal proceedings against all those responsible for the raid.

“Neither the chief secretary nor the administration secretary acted when the KP House was attacked. Here I’ll also criticise the KP government over its inaction as the action over the KP House raid has been taken by the KP Assembly and not the government,” he said.

Speaker Swati complained that the KP House came under attack from police and Rangers when the chief minister, cabinet members, and some families were present there.

“Federal agencies attacked the KP House, so two FIRs should be lodged against them, one in KP and the other in Islamabad,” he said.

The speaker wondered if the government couldn’t ensure the safety of the CM, how it could protect the residents.

He said that it was a challenge for the house to ensure action on its committee’s report and that anyone, found negligent, should be punished.

Member of the opposition JUI-F Adnan Khan said the KP House raid was an attack on the provincial lawmakers’ dignity, so they should table privilege motions against it.

He told the treasury: “We [the opposition] stand with you on this point. Why are you afraid of doing so? Why don’t you produce details of the damage and table privilege motions?”

Law and parliamentary affairs minister Aftab Alam Afridi said the police and Rangers’ raid on KP House in Islamabad was an attack on the province’s autonomy.

He directed the administration secretary to brief the parliamentary committee about security lapses during the raid and future steps to prevent them.

During the sitting, the KP Assembly passed the KP provincial Assembly Secretariat Employees Terms and Conditions of Service bill 2024. The bill was moved by the minister for law and parliamentary affairs.

The assembly passed the KP Appointment of Law Officers Amendment Bill, 2024.

MR Afridi also laid the KP Police Amendment Bill, 2024, and KP Services Tribunal Amendment Bill, 2024, in the house, while the KP Prisons Amendment Bill, 2024, was tabled by special assistant to the chief minister for prisons Humayun Khan.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2024