PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Wednesday approved replacing security forces with police in areas with low terrorist threat.

Officials told Dawn that under the Composite Security Model,the police would play the leading role in areas with lower terrorist threat, with security forces acting in emergency situations only.

They said the police would lead security management in Buner and Upper Chitral districts in the next 15 days.

Officials also said that the security forces would still play a lead role in security management in highly volatile areas of southern districts.

Cabinet also okays draft changes to law to strengthen commission on status of women

They said that under the Composite Security Model, which was earlier approved by the apex committee, the police would be equipped with arms, ammunition and modern gadgets.

The cabinet, which met with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in the chair, approved Rs567.7 million under CSM for the police department to procure equipment, according to an official statement.

It also decided that the provincial government would avail itself of the Saudi Fund for Development funding of $30 million for Malakand Infrastructure Project if the federal government provided it as grant and not loan.

The forum also approved the draft Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sentencing (Amendment) Act, 2025, which provides for bringing consistency in the judgements regarding sentencing and better implementation.

It approved Rs56.028 million and exemption of tendering process for Ramazan Dastarkhawan for the current fiscal year in line with Section 14(1)(i) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (KP-PPRA) Act 2012, Rules 2014, in the “best public interest as normal procedure for procurement of food takes time,” according to the statement. Under the scheme during the month of fasting, free Sehar and Iftar meals are provided to all those individuals who are stationed with patients in DHQ and THQ hospitals.

The cabinet also gave approval to the appointment of non-official members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Transplantation Regulatory Authority. The three-year tenure of the seven non-official members of the authority had expired on Sept 3, 2023.

Under Section 5(4) of the Act, the authority will consist of 11 members, including eight non-official and three official members, including the health minister, secretary health and administrator of the regulatory authority.

As per sub-sections 5 and 6 of the Act’s Section 5, the government may appoint one member against each specialty as non-official members for a period of three years. The authority regulates, monitors and controls all transplantation of human organs and various committees under the Act besides recognizes medical institutions and hospitals for practice of operative surgery in transplantation of human organs.

The cabinet also approved the inclusion of the construction of a RCC bridge to connect Jankass Barikot with Main Kumrat Road in Upper Dir district in the upcoming Annual Development Programme. It allowed the grant of the approved Rs7 million (Rs2.5 million already approved and reimbursed and Rs4.5 million additional grant to Shaheen Bibi, the mother of Mr Hasnain, who is undergoing lungs transplant abroad.

The forum ordered the holding of open kutcheris to obtain the views of stakeholders for detachment of Darshi and Mathokhel villages from Banda Daud Shah tehsil in Karak district and attachment thereof with Thall tehsil in Hangu district.

It also approved funds for clearing the liabilities of outsourced hospitals in Daggar, Ghiljo, Mamad Gat, Mola Khan Sarai, Toi Khula and Darazinda, rural health centres in Garam Chashma and Mastuj, and gave the go-ahead for the establishment of Jawan Markaz in Karak district.

The cabinet granted approval to the draft amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women Act, 2016, which aims at strengthening the working of the commission. The commission oversees implementation of laws, policies and programmes related to women and propose new measures where there exist gaps.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2025