At the district level, a chief regulatory force officer would perform duties under the authority of the deputy commissioner
DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has prepared a draft law for establishing a dedicated regulatory force to ensure effective, uniform and coordinated enforcement of various regulatory laws across the province, a handout said.
The statement said the draft was reviewed at a meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s Select Committee on Home Affairs, held at the assembly secretariat on Monday under the chairmanship of Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Minister Aftab Alam.
Members of the select committee, including Muneer Hussain Laghmani, Sher Ali Afridi, Ehtesham Ali Arbab, Mohammad Usman Khan, Adnan Khan, Mohammad Nisar Baz and Special Assistant to the Home Department Tariq Saeed, attended the meeting. Officials of the Home Department, Law Department, Advocate General, special prosecutor and relevant assembly authorities were also present.
The additional home secretary briefed the committee on the proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Regulatory Force Act, 2025, under which a separate regulatory force would be established with its headquarters in Peshawar and offices at the district level. The force would be made operational across the province in phases.
According to the briefing, the force would operate under the provincial government through the Home and Tribal Affairs Department and would be headed by a director general appointed for a three-year term.
At the district level, a chief regulatory force officer would perform duties under the authority of the deputy commissioner. The proposed force would also coordinate with the police, while certain powers available to police under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, could be delegated to authorised officers.
The schedule attached to the proposed legislation includes 19 major regulatory laws, covering areas such as irrigation and drainage, electricity, food safety, environmental protection, local government, price control and prevention of profiteering and hoarding, forests, and mines and minerals.
The proposed legislation also provides for powers to confiscate property used in regulatory offences, submission of an annual performance report and formulation of a code of conduct for officials.
It proposes penalties against officials for unlawful entry, arbitrary arrest, torture and unnecessary delays in legal proceedings. Provisions have also been proposed to take action over unauthorised use of uniforms and false or vexatious complaints.
During the meeting, members of the select committee raised concerns and offered suggestions on various provisions of the proposed bill.
Committee chairman Aftab Alam directed officials to incorporate the members’ suggestions and opinions into the draft and present a revised version at the next meeting.
He said the final draft would be prepared after a detailed review and deliberation on all aspects of the proposed legislation and would subsequently be placed before the provincial assembly for approval.
