KP cabinet approves Police Act 2026 draft, seeks greater say over IGP appointment

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has approved a draft Police Act 2026 that proposes changes to the appointment of the provincial police chief and gives the provincial government greater authority over police policy, operational and financial matters.

Under the proposed law, the federal government would send a panel of three officers for the appointment of the inspector general of police (IGP), while the provincial government would have the option to select one officer or reject the entire panel.

The draft also proposes transferring powers relating to the transfers and posting of regional police officers (RPOs) and district police officers (DPOs) to the chief minister and the Home Department, while financial matters relating to the police budget would come under the finance department.

The draft was approved by the provincial cabinet after changes were made to an earlier version based on proposals from police authorities, Information Minister Shafi Jan said, although details of the amendments were not provided.

The proposed legislation would replace the existing Police Act 2017, which was introduced during the government of former chief minister Pervez Khattak.

The draft is expected to be presented before the provincial assembly during its next session for approval.

The proposed law has also been described by the provincial government as a move to revise the existing framework governing the police force. Critics and supporters of the legislation may differ over its implications for police autonomy and provincial government oversight.

The Police Act 2017 had been introduced with the stated objective of providing a legal framework for police reforms and strengthening institutional mechanisms governing the force.