Sindh revives Musharraf-era Police Order

The Sindh Assembly revived Police Order 2002 by repealing the colonialera Police Act 1861, prompting a walkout by the three major opposition parties that were part of a select committee to examine the draft law.

Among several other structural changes, the establishment of public safety commissions at district and provincial levels are said to be the most significant part of the new law.

The Sindh (Repeal of the Police Act 1861 and Revival of Police Order 2002) Amendment Act 2019 was moved in the house with five of the 15 members of the select committee refusing to sign it.

Police Order 2002 was first enforced by the former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.

Eight members from the treasury benches, including the

committee’s convener Ismail Rahu, and two representatives from smaller opposition parties – the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) – had duly signed the draft.

Leader of the Opposition Firdous Shamim Naqvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and his parliamentary party leader Haleem Adil Shaikh, Khawaja Izharul Hasan and Mohamed Hussain of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P), and Shaharyar Mahar of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), did not sign the document.

However, when the draft law was moved in the house, the members of the PTI, MQMP and GDA began protesting against what they called the “improper” way it had been written, without properly listening to the opposition members.

The parliamentary leaders and other members of those opposition parties gathered close in front of the speaker’s rostrum and began shouting slogans.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani said the same members’ conduct brought “humiliation” to the provincial legislature.

“They don’t come here for the betterment of the people of Sindh, but only to spoil the time of this august house,” he remarked.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla began reading the bill clause by clause as the opposition members kept chanting slogans.

After a while, they walked out of the house while the three members of the MMA and the TLP stayed in the house.

The bill was later passed unanimously in the absence of the opposition.

The house was informed that Police Order 2002 was revived as it stood on July 13, 2011 with amendments “to define the role of police, its duties and responsibilities and in the public interest”.

One of the salient points of the new law relates to the tenure of the inspector general of police (IGP), which will be three years.

The provincial government “may repatriate, or the federal government may, on its own accord recall, an IGP”.

Also, the provincial public safety commission would recommend to the government for repatriation of IGP before completion of tenure for “unsatisfactory performance of duties”.

Among the duties of police, it could apprehend a person on legal grounds but it is bound to inform about the arrest to a person of the detainee’s choice.

Police can “enter and inspect without a warrant on reliable information any public place, shop or gaming-house where alcoholic drinks or narcotics are sold or weapons are legally stored and other public places of resort of loose and disorderly characters”.