PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Tuesday directed immediate framing of rules of business for smooth implementation of the Police Act in the province.

He issued the directives while presiding over a meeting on implementation process of the Act here.

Chief Secretary Abid Saeed, IGP Salahuddin Mehsud, implementation commissioner Tariq Umar Khitab, secretary finance Shakeel Qadir, principal secretary to chief minister Mohammad Israr, secretary home Siraj Khan and representatives of law department attended the meeting.

The participants held a detailed discussion on implementation process, completion of different requirements for the formation of different safety commissions at regional and district levels and framing of rules of business under the Act.

Mr Khattak said his government had achieved target of making police an independent body according to aspirations of people. There should be different safeguards at different tiers of governance for the accountability and responsiveness of police force, he stressed.

He said the safety commissions would strictly monitor complaints against police that would serve as a check on the force. He directed to expedite formation of safety commissions, saying the members of the commissions would have to deliver.

Mr Khattak directed that framing of rules of business should be done within 10 days, so the implementation commissioner could give a roadmap to oversee the whole implementation process on the Police Act.

He directed the finance department to facilitate the office of implementation commission, which would be represented by the treasury, opposition lawmakers and independent members of the civil society.

He said the police had made tremendous achievements in bringing down the crime after his government ‘ensured’ independence of the force. “This was not an easy decision to make and it was by all standards a remarkable achievement by his government and it is more important to retain the tempo of responsiveness by police force,” he added.

Meanwhile, the chief minister on Tuesday directed payment of compensation to the affected people of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Battagram, adds APP.

He directed to prepare complete estimate of the road reconstruction from Kass Bridge to Kuza Banda onward to Chattar Plain affected by the heavy vehicular traffic of CPEC.

He was talking to a delegation from Batagram district led by Haji Mohammad Yousaf Tarand.

Mr Khattak directed the National Highway Authority to prepare a list of affected roads because of CPEC transportation.

Political coordinator to chief minister MPA Zargul, MNA Qari Yousaf, MPA Shah Hussain, district nazim Attaur Rehman, senior member Board of Revenue, commissioner Hazara, DC Batagram, GM NHA and collector CPEC for Hazara region were among the delegates.

The delegates presented their problems mostly related to the affected people of CPEC. The chief minister assured that the affected people would be given compensation after a realistic evaluation of their property.

He directed Battagram deputy commissioner to ensure compensation based on the evaluation table because the people paid taxes on commercial lines and therefore they should be paid in the same way.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2017