Tallal Chaudhry Warns KP Police Law Could Weaken Command Structure
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on Thursday raised strong objections to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s proposed Police Act 2026, warning that changes to the force’s command structure could affect discipline, morale and its ability to maintain law and order and combat terrorism.
His comments came a day after the KP cabinet approved a proposed law to replace the KP Police Act, 2017. The draft would give the provincial government and chief minister a greater role in police policy and senior appointments while making some operational, administrative and financial powers of the provincial police officer subject to government direction.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry acknowledged that policing and public order are primarily provincial matters but argued that provincial legislation must remain within the Constitution and applicable legal frameworks.
He said rules governing the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) could not be overridden through provincial legislation and argued that restructuring the command system of a force engaged in counterterrorism could have serious operational consequences. These are the federal minister’s legal and policy arguments; the constitutionality of the proposed legislation has not been finally determined by a court.
What Would the New KP Police Law Change?
The proposed KP Police Act 2026 would significantly reshape the relationship between the provincial government and senior police leadership.
According to the cabinet-approved draft reported by Dawn, administration of the police would remain vested in the provincial police officer, but the PPO would exercise operational, financial and administrative powers subject to policy formulated by a new Police Policy Board and directions issued by the provincial government or chief minister.
The proposed structure would create two separate forums: a Police Policy Board headed by the chief minister and a Police Operations Board headed by the provincial police officer.
The PPO would also prepare an annual policing plan for consideration and approval by the Police Policy Board. The provincial government says the arrangement is designed to separate policy from operational policing while improving accountability and oversight.
The draft would also change arrangements involving senior police postings and transfers.
Tallal Chaudhry argued that the proposed system would go considerably further than simply reducing the IGP’s authority, claiming it could disrupt the wider chain of command.
KP Government Defends Proposed Reforms
The provincial government has presented a different interpretation of the legislation.
KP Information Minister Shafi Jan said the proposed law would provide greater institutional accountability in police postings and transfers and create a clearer separation between policy-making and operational functions.
Earlier, provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam said policing was a provincial subject and argued that the government was introducing checks and balances rather than weakening the police.
He said the reforms were intended to prevent misuse of authority and make the policing system more effective.
The competing positions are therefore significant: the federal minister argues the changes could weaken professional command and increase political control, while the KP government says they are intended to improve accountability, oversight and institutional balance.
Tallal Raises Counterterrorism Concerns
Chaudhry linked his objections to the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where police personnel continue to face militant attacks.
He argued that changing the command structure at a time of heightened terrorism could affect officers’ ability to make professional decisions and damage morale within the force.
He also criticised what he described as inadequate resources for KP Police, questioning the availability of protective equipment, armoured vehicles, forensic facilities and residential support for personnel.
Chaudhry further objected to the proposed composition of a six-member oversight body, arguing that opposition representatives, civil society, journalists, police officers or members of the judiciary could also have been considered.
KP Governor Says He Would Block Proposed Law
The dispute widened on Thursday when KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also criticised the proposed legislation.
Kundi said he would not approve the law if it reached his office in its present form, describing it as unconstitutional and illegal. That description represents the governor’s political and legal position; no final judicial ruling on the proposed legislation has been issued.
The draft has so far been approved by the provincial cabinet but has not yet completed the legislative process. It is expected to be presented before the KP Assembly.
Chaudhry said the federal government could pursue legal or parliamentary options if it believed the final legislation conflicted with the Constitution, federal law or applicable PSP rules.
The controversy is therefore likely to centre on two issues as the bill moves forward: the extent of provincial authority over policing and whether the proposed changes strengthen democratic oversight or weaken the professional independence and command structure of the KP Police.
