KP cabinet discusses steps to strengthen police

PESHAWAR: The 8th meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial cabinet, held at the Chief Minister House, was presided over by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur here on Saturday.

It underscored key initiatives to strengthen the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police, enhance revenue from the mineral sector, and improve the execution of developmental schemes.

Gandapur emphasised the allocation of additional resources to the KP Police to bolster law and order in the province. He highlighted the need for improved revenue generation from the mineral sector through better structures and processes.

The establishment of the KP Minerals Development and Management Company (KPMDMC) was lauded as a positive step towards responsible mining and international marketing of minerals.

The cabinet approved the proposal for the establishment and incorporation of KPMDMC, which will focus on exploring, developing, excavating, processing, and marketing minerals with an emphasis on mechanized economic excavation.

The Draft bill for amendment in section 116-A of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance, 1965 duly endorsed by the Law and Finance Departments was placed before the provincial cabinet to re-allocate the 25% quota/ share of traffic fines from traffic education, awareness, purchase of machinery & equipment to 15% and the remaining 10% to be remitted to the Police Welfare Fund. The provincial cabinet has approved this summary of the Home and Tribal Affairs Department. To introduce the online payment system and integrate the existing Motor Vehicle Registration System, Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department to introduce a complete IT solution through an MOU with KP IT Board on payment of service charges equitant to one per cent. Agreeing to the proposal the cabinet approved the proposal for one year.

A summary for clearance of compensation cases with respect to property losses of citizens of South Waziristan upper at the cost of Rs. 1.5 billion was presented in the cabinet meeting. The cabinet approved the summary as a non-ADP scheme-AIP titled ‘Citizen Losses Compensation Program South Waziristan Upper’.

The amount will be paid by the Federal Government. The requisition of 500 troops as ex-post-facto sanction and the requisition of 200 new troops as security for foreign nationals working on various projects in Hazara Division was placed before the provincial cabinet for approval.

Legally Section 131-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 read with Article 245 of the constitution stipulates that if the provincial government is satisfied that assistance of armed forces is required for the public security, protection of citizens and property, public peace and maintenance of law and order may request federal government to direct any officer of the armed forces to render such assistance.

The Home and Tribal Affairs Department placed a case to allow the inclusion of Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) and Potassium Chlorate in the definition of Explosives exercising its powers as enunciated in Section 2 (f) clause (iii) and Section 23 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Explosives Act, 2013. This was approved by the provincial cabinet.

A summary of the concurrence of the Provincial Cabinet for obtaining a loan from the Federal Government for the project ’Flood Protection Sector Project-III was presented in the meeting. The cabinet agreed to the summary in principle and granted concurrence.

Flood Protection Sector Project (III) costing Rs. 194.625 billion over the first five years (2023-28) was recommended by CDWP in its meeting held on 23.05.2023 and approved by ECNEC on 27.06.2023.

A summary of implementation plans for proposed energy conservation measures was placed before the cabinet.

The cabinet as recommended by the Energy and Power Department approved the amendments in Rules of Business, 1985 empowering the Provincial Electric Inspectorate to enforce NEECA Laws, rules, regulations, instructions, guidelines, codes in respect of Energy Conservation in all the sectors across the province.