KP cabinet okay draft of an Ordinance amending PPC and CPC

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Cabinet approved the draft of an Ordinance amending various Sections of Pakistan Panel Code and Criminal Procedure Code enhanceing punishments and penalties for all those organizing unlawful assembly, rioting and disobeying an order lawfully promulgated and/or causing obstructions, or injury to persons lawfully employed. Specifically, these amendments relate to the violation of sections 147, 148 and 188 of PPC.

The 21st meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Justice (R) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah, took place at the Secretariat in Peshawar on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by ministers, advisors, special assistants, the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, additional chief secretaries, and relevant administrative secretaries.

According to details the Cabinet approved amendments to Sections 147, 148, and 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 and in Schedule II of the Criminal Procedure Code 1898 by enhancing the punishment of the said sections to create deterrence and to stop unlawful assembly and rioting etc. and to maintain the writ of the state and peace.

While the existing punishment u/s 147 of PPC was “upto two years or with fine, or both” it was increased to “upto three years and shall also be liabe to fine upto two hundred thousand rupees. In default of payment of fine additional imprisonment for three months.” In schedule-II “may be arrested without warrant “non-bailable” has also been added. With regard to Section 148 the existing punishment was “upto three years or with fine, or both” has been replaced by “upto fine years and shall also be liable to fine up to five hundred thousand rupees, which shall not be less than one hundred thousand rupees. In default of payment of fine, additional imprisonment for six months” while in schedule –II “May be arrested without a warrant” and “nonabailable” have been added. In respect of the punishment u/s 188 which was “upto one month or with fine which may extend to (six hundred rupees) or with both” was replaced with “up to one year and shall also be liable to fine upto one hundred thousand rupees, which shall not be less than twenty-five thousand rupees.

In default of payment of fine, additional imprisonment for one month. While the punishment for an offense causing “danger to human life, health or safety, etc.” under this section was “upto sic months or with fine which may extend to (three thousand rupees), or with both” has now been enhanced to “upto three years and shall also be liable to fine upto two hundred thousand rupees, which shall not be less than thirty-five thousand rupees. In default of payment of fine, additional imprisonment for two months.”

The cabinet approved the extension of the project Settlement and Digitization of Land Record in Merge Districts from seven (7) to 25 sub-divisions/tehsils in the said merged districts. The revised estimate of the project was approved with an enhanced cost of Rs.1777.829 million. The Cabinet approved the release of a sum of Rs. 5 hundred Million for the Irrigation Department for maintenance, repair and desilting of different water/ Irrigation schemes, desilting of canals and construction of embankments on rivers for protection from floods.

The cabinet approved a supplementary grant for payment of enhanced cost as per decisions of different courts for the lands acquired for police buildings in different parts of the Province. These lends include 933 Kanal land for Heavy Firing Range in Nowshera, 3 kanal land for Police Station Barawal Dir Upper, 207 Kanal land for Police Lines Charsadda, 7 Kanal land for Police Station Bahrain Swat, 81 kanal and 14.5 marla for Police Lines Dagar Buner. The decretal amount to be paid to land owners amounts to Rs.366.099 million.

The Cabinet approved the posting of Mr.Imad Ali a BS-20 PMS Officer against the vacant post of Managing Director Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority. Section 7, of the Urban Mobility Authority Act required that such appointment is to be made by the Government means the cabinet.

The posting is subject to clearance from the Election Commission. The cabinet approved the creation of different posts for the newly created Research Cell at the Directorate of Prosecution, Home and Tribal Affairs Department in compliance with the recommendation of the Affix Committee meeting on the Implementation Status of the revised National Action Plan. The cabinet allowed the relaxation of ban for the creation of one post of Deputy Director of Research BS-18 and one post of Assistant Director in the said Directorate.

The cabinet also proved the creation of two post of psychologist BS-18 and one BS-19, in the Prison Department providing opportunities of promotion to the existing psychologists, as per the directives of the judgment of the Peshawar High Court. The cabinet unanimously demanded of the Federal Government and National High Ways Authority to provide an interchange and bypass from G.T.Road to Motorways in/for Abbottabad City. It is worth mentioning that despite being a big city and despite passing through it, but the Motorways has no interchange for the said City. The Cabinet also offered Fatiha for the departed soul of Farmer Chief Justice ® Qaiser Rasheed Khan of the Peshawar High Court. It also offered Fatiha for the on the demise of the father of Secretary Agriculture Mr. Javed Khan Marwat.