Talal hopes 'better sense' will prevail

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Thursday said the government's priority was to resolve the issue with the PTI through dialogue and hoped that better sense would prevail before the party's planned march on Sep 27. Talking to a private television programme, Capital Talk, while recalling the previous PTI protest, the minister admitted that it had not been managed properly last time but said things would be different this time. "The government believes in minimum use of power, but one thing is very clear this time ... Islamabad is very far away in this manner," Talal said. He said the protesters would be treated respectfully, escorted and sent back in the same manner, but warned that if they wanted to come to turn Islamabad into "Somnath", they would neither be allowed to come nor be able to take anything back. "The route that can be opened through talks cannot be opened through a march," he said. Meanwhile, the minister expressed concerns over the new Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Police Act approved by the provincial cabinet, saying the legislation could affect the police command structure, discipline, morale, and the force's role in maintaining law and order and combating terrorism. Speaking at a news conference, he said policing and law and order are provincial subjects under the Constitution following the 18th Amendment, but provincial legislation must remain within the constitutional and legal framework governing the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP). Talal said provinces do not have unrestricted authority to legislate on matters that fall outside the constitutional framework. He noted that just as provinces cannot create separate armed forces, railways, or naval services, they also cannot introduce laws that override established PSP rules and principles. He said the PSP rules were developed under Pakistan's federal system and have been upheld through decisions of the high courts and the Supreme Court. According to him, these rules provide the basis for the command and administrative structure of the police force and cannot be set aside through provincial legislation. The minister said the K-P Police has been engaged in the fight against terrorism for many years and has made continuous sacrifices. He argued that the new law does not only reduce the authority of the Inspector General (IG) but also affects the wider chain of command within the police force. He stated that powers relating to the appointment and posting of officers from the rank of DSP and above, which were previously exercised by senior police officers, have now been shifted.