PESHAWAR: PTI chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said the army’s statement regarding good governance should not be taken negatively.

“A democratic government should not consider itself a kingdom as it is answerable to the people,” he said while speaking at the Public Liaison Council inaugural function at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines Peshawar.

The PTI chief criticised the political parties’ reaction on the ISPR statement regarding good governance, saying good governance was the demand of every Pakistani.

He said MNAs and MPAs were the people’s representatives, who were answerable to the people at any level.

Imran said the ISPR statement was taken wrongly.

PTI chief says democratic government is answerable to the people

He alleged that the Punjab and Sindh governments were misusing the police for the upcoming local government elections and that was tantamount to the pre-poll rigging.

The PTI chief alleged that the Punjab government had involved the police in local body elections for rigging and that it even tried to transfer an honest district police officer of Mianwali for the purpose but the transfer was revoked after the PTI approached the Election Commission of Pakistan.

He said with depoliticising, the police would ensure peace in the province, adding the days were not far away when other provinces would also follow the working pattern of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police.

Imran said the people of Karachi were happy at the Rangers’ operation, which had led to the significant decline in the crime incidence, while the police in other parts of the country were under extreme political pressure. He said the police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were free from political influence and instead, they took decisions independently.

The PTI chief said no FIR had been registered in the province against anyone on political pressure.

He said the police had registered cases against the PTI candidates in Sindh and Punjab, while 12 PTI workers were killed in the Punjab local body elections on political grounds.

Imran claimed the people from across the country appreciated the performance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police.

He said it was part of the PTI manifesto to depoliticise the provincial police and that one could see changes and reforms made by them.

Highlighting the achievements of police in eliminating terrorism from the province, the PTI chief said the crime rate in the province had reduced by 60 per cent.

He claimed that the Peshawar corps commander had lauded the efforts of the provincial police in countering terrorism.

Imran paid tribute to the police and security forces for rendering matchless sacrifices for restoration and maintenance of peace.

He said the police couldn’t be successful until the local population had confidence in it.

Earlier, accompanied by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani, elementary and secondary education minister Atif Khan and MPAs, the PTI chief also visited the Police School of Information Technology and Sniffer Dogs Unit and received briefing on the staff working and performance.

On the occasion, the IGP highlighted the importance of the Public Liaison Council, saying the council will work with the active participation of locals at village and neighbourhood council level to address public grievances.

He said the council would also help point out suspected elements in their respective areas.

“The council will consist of elected councilors and local elders.”

Durrani said the community engagement with government authorities was a traditional practice and that that practice would help the police keep proper check on anti-social elements and illegal tenants.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2015