Education, law enforcement: PTI-led KP government's reforms bringing positive changes

Though the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has yet to start any mega development projects it has introduced meaningful reforms, which are gradually bringing positive changes, especially in education, law enforcement and land revenue sectors known for rampant corruption and nepotism during past governments.
The provincial government's efforts have restored public confidence to a large extent in various departments as officials at the helm of affairs strictly discourage bribery and make all out efforts to facilitate the public. There are strict checks and balances on corruption and bribery, said a number of people while talking to Business Recorder.
They said that ruling parties' parliamentarians regularly visit schools, hospitals, police stations and revenue departments located in their constituencies. Due to strict checking, now doctors at Basic Health Units treat patients properly and provide quality medicines to them, whereas doctors seldom visited these health units in the past, they said.
Soon after coming into power, the provincial government announced the introduction of reforms in government departments to improve their performance and make them public-friendly. These reforms included formation of complaint cell in revenue department, reinvigorating police, certification of land transfer and its confirmation by the commissioner and deputy commissioner, putting up rate list in sub registrar and tehsil offices, online First Investigation Report (FIR), monitoring of police stations, computerisation of land records, launch of technical unit and elite force, introduction of warden system and intelligence system in all prisons, CCTV footage system, permanent check posts, women complaint cell, school of investigation and intelligence, uniform medium of teaching and curriculum, independent monitoring unit, and recruitment through transparent manner.
Riaz Ahmad spokesperson for KP police told Business Recorder that the department has brought major reforms in policing system, especially in the Thana culture to improve its performance. On the same lines KP police worked out Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for its online FIR registration that can be accessed from its official police website. Citizens who have witnessed or experienced a crime can now register an FIR online rather than having to go to a police station. Further, close circuit cameras are being installed in police stations to directly monitor the activities of the police station staff by the high-ups. In addition, women desks are being set up in most of police stations to facilitate women.
Riaz further said that in a bid to improve the security conditions in the province, a Counter Terrorism Force (CTF) has been established with the mandate to get information and strike at the target as well. About 7000 high profile terrorists were arrested for whom head money was announced. Police have switched to a regularly scheduled shift system and politicians no longer can order transfers of officers. Shoulder promotions system has been abandoned, while all the appointments are being made through selection Board headed by DIGs.
Riaz further said that by adopting zero tolerance policy on corruption and making the force public-friendly, Inspector General Police (IGP) has suspended over 4000 policemen including high ranking officials on charges of corruption and poor performance.
He further said that 8 training schools and centers have been established in the province for police capacity-building. Dispute Resolution System has been introduced to solve issues through Jirga system instead of going to police stations. Recruitment in the police department is being conducted through National Testing Service (NTS) for the first time which has resulted in ending political interference and induction of qualified people, he added.
Spokesperson for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government Mushtaq Ghani told Business Recorder that record legislation was made during the incumbent government's tenure which includes Right to Information act, Right to services act, local bodies act, Ehtisab act etc. He said that provincial government is facing funds shortage for the Annual Development Plan and a request of Rs 70 billion has been made to the federal government. If the funds are released in a timely fashion the provincial government would properly utilise them.
He said that land record across the province will be computerised and in the first phase the record of Mardan district was computerised while 85 percent work in Peshawar has been completed. A transparent way has been adopted for transfer of lands which resulted in controlling corruption in the department.
Realising the importance of education, the government has introduced some major reforms in the sector. He said that recruitment in the educational institutions has been conducted through NTS for the first time to end political interference and to induct qualified people.
The spokesperson said that all hospitals and colleges would be made autonomous and one line budget would be given to ensure independent utilisation. Boards of governors at major hospitals have been appointed which would be expanded to district level as well. Further, College councils would be established to make them autonomous. He said the elementary and secondary education departments have implemented the biometric attendance monitoring system.
This GPRS/GSM based system can be monitored from anywhere in the world through smart phones and computer system. Monitoring teams regularly visit schools which resulted in 95 percent attendance of teachers. Ghani said that a drive for out of school children was launched and about 0.7 million children have been enrolled so far. By end December education survey will be completed to exactly find out the number of out of school children.
New appointed school teachers in the province will never be transferred from the government-run educational institution they are appointed to. The non-transferable recruitment policy will help ensure presence of teachers in schools and decrease political interference in their affairs. Currently, influential teachers serve at their favoured school, but those without any political support were transferred to faraway schools causing absenteeism and inefficiency to the distress of local students.
KP spokesperson said that training as started for teachers who would be taught English as a medium of instruction, and subsequently they would train more teachers in the province.
However, parliamentary leader of Awami National Party (ANP) in KP Assembly Sardar Hussain Babak negated the claims of PTI-led government saying that provincial government has consistently failed for the last three years to utilise its development budget. He said that the third quarter of the current financial year is about to end and only around 16 percent of development budget was utilised.
Babak said that PTI is always taking credit for the local bodies' election; however the provincial government has yet to pass on the powers and funds to local governments, which is evident from the fact that elected members, are on roads protesting against the government. ANP leader while reacting to police reforms said that KP police always was the most efficient in the country and this ranking is maintained during the tenure of the present government.