KP Govt Approves Anti-Beggary Bill

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet has approved the KP Vagrancy Control and Rehabilitation Bill 2025 and decided to present it before the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for legislation.

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. According to an official statement, the proposed bill introduces a modern, rights-based framework to address vagrancy in the province, replacing the legal framework introduced in 2020.

The bill focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment and expands the legal definition of vagrancy to include organized and forced beggary. It also differentiates between vulnerable individuals and organized criminal networks involved in exploitation.

The proposed law includes special protection for children involved in begging and prescribes penalties for those exploiting them.

It also proposes the establishment of institutional mechanisms, including a provincial steering committee and a dedicated non-lapsable rehabilitation fund to support skill development and reintegration of vulnerable individuals.

Adviser to the chief minister for information, Shafi Jan, said the bill also includes after-care and livelihood support measures to ensure long-term rehabilitation and prevent individuals from returning to begging.

During the meeting, the cabinet also approved the Hybrid Wheat Procurement and Strategic Reserves Policy 2026, which aims to gradually shift from a state-controlled wheat procurement system to a market-based model while maintaining strategic reserves for food security.

The cabinet approved Rs4.065 billion to address human resource shortages in the health sector and authorized the creation of 2,439 fixed-pay positions for medical officers, dental surgeons, and nurses in public health facilities.

Additionally, Rs196 million was approved for laptops for minority students under the Chief Minister’s Digital Inclusion Program.

The cabinet also approved amendments to the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010, and decided to establish breast screening centers at five divisional headquarters.

Other decisions included funding for land acquisition for the Peshawar–Dera Ismail Khan Motorway, land allocation for a nursing college in Upper Chitral, and extension of the Tirah Model Financial Assistance Package to 6,505 additional affected families in Khyber District.