Minister says cabinet approves merger of Levies into police in Malakand division
DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan on Friday said the provincial government was giving top priority to security, police modernisation and protection of provincial rights.
Addressing a press conference to brief media person on the decision taken in the last cabinet meeting, the minister said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had played an active role in opposing the suspension of CNG supply and restrictions on wheat transportation to the province, adding that all political parties had been brought together on a joint platform to raise the issue.
He said KP produced 508 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas against a domestic requirement of 180 MMCFD, but despite constitutional guarantees giving provinces the first right over their natural resources, the province had long faced discriminatory treatment from the federal government.
Mr Jan said electricity shortages and restrictions on wheat supply from Punjab had negatively affected industries and flour mills in the province.
Referring to the security situation, the minister said some districts were facing law and order challenges, which he claimed stemmed from decisions made without wider consultation.
He said the provincial government was spending heavily on counterterrorism and police reforms, adding that security remained a major priority alongside health and education.
According to the minister, Rs170 billion had been allocated for the police during the current fiscal year, accounting for 8.7 per cent of the provincial budget, the highest ratio among provinces. He said Punjab allocated 3.9pc and Sindh 5.9pc of their respective budgets for policing.
He added that police funding had increased by 37pc over the last two years, while an additional Rs46bn had been earmarked for police modernisation, including intelligence systems, weapons, technology and training.
Mr Jan said Rs17bn was being spent on development in the security sector and more than Rs18bn on police salaries. He added that the police-to-population ratio in the province stood at one officer for every 291 citizens, while 3,550 new police posts had been created, including in merged districts.
Criticising cuts in the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) for merged districts, the minister said allocations had been reduced from Rs42bn to Rs37bn, of which only Rs22bn had so far been released.
He said Rs749 million had been released under the Shuhada compensation package for 312 cases and announced that the police budget was likely to be increased by 12pc in the next fiscal year.
The minister said the provincial cabinet had approved the merger of the Levies Force into the police in Malakand district and the implementation of a uniform policing system there.
He added that the cabinet had also approved the Digital Transformation Policy and Roadmap 2030 aimed at improving governance through digitisation, cyber security, digital payments, artificial intelligence and data analytics.
In the agriculture sector, the cabinet approved reconstitution of the province Seed Council to improve seed quality, research and food security, he said. Mr Jan further said the cabinet had approved construction of women’s hostels and a multi-storey parking facility at the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology.
The cabinet also approved a transparent recruitment mechanism for Medical Teaching Institutions, payment of pending salaries to 906 health technicians and vaccinators, and a formal salary structure for contract employees, he added.
According to the minister, financial assistance worth Rs760m was approved for nine patients requiring expensive medical treatment.
