Monday, May 10, 2010

Government fails to restore DPSCs, despite SC’s orders

By Irfan Ghauri

ISLAMABAD: The government has so far failed to restore the District Public Safety Commissions (DPSCs), which can serve as a safety valve against rampant police high-handedness, despite orders issued by the Supreme Court on April 13 to immediately restore the commissions throughout the country.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had taken the decision while taking a suo motu notice in an incident of police high-handedness.

The court had ordered the provincial home secretaries, chief commissioner Islamabad and the interior secretary to present a report to the Supreme Court registrar within one month after taking practical measures regarding the restoration of DPSCs.

The establishment of the DPSC is a fundamental part of the Police Order, 2001, an essential component of the local government system.

The Police Order, 2001 empowered the DPSC to take measures to stop police from engaging in any unlawful activity. It also allows the people’s representatives at local as well as provincial levels to listen to public complaints against the police department to carry out a system of checks and balances.

The absence of the local government system in the country is considered the main hurdle in the restoration of DPSCs, as in the absence of local governments the formation of a DPSC may face quorum problems, as one-third of its members come from the district assembly.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry has said the government is working on a plan for restoring the DPSCs in light of the Supreme Court’s orders.

Former National Reconstruction Bureau chairman Daniyal Aziz told Daily Times there was no hurdle in the restoration of DPSCs, as former members of zila councils could act as members of the commission until the new local government polls were held.

Claiming that the government was violating the decision of the SC, he said the provincial governments were bound to request the chief election commissioner to hold LG polls within 75 days after the dissolution of local governments.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

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