KP Cabinet Approves Police Act 2026 Reshaping Senior Command

Overview

• The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet approved the K-P Police Act 2026 on Wednesday, formalizing a draft that shifts major appointment and posting powers to the provincial government.
• The law sets a new appointment mechanism for the inspector general that lets the federal government forward eligible names while the province issues the notification and can request fresh panels if dissatisfied.
• The act creates a Police Policy Board chaired by the chief minister and a Police Operations Board led by the inspector general and requires an annual policing plan for Policy Board approval.
• Senior KP police officers including the provincial inspector general have raised worries that moving administrative, operational and financial authority to the provincial government could weaken professional autonomy.
• The federal government announced on Thursday it will challenge the law in the Supreme Court, which means the bill must still pass the provincial assembly and will likely face judicial review before taking effect.