Police chiefs posted to tribal districts

PESHAWAR: In a historic development, the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) got police chiefs for the first time on Friday. Through a notification issued here, district police officers were posted in all the merged districts of now-defunct Fata.

Mohammad Hussain was posted as District Police Officer for Khyber, Pir Shahab Ali Shah, Bajaur, Abdul Rashid, Mohmand, Salahuddin, Orakzai, Rahim Shah, Kurram, Kifayatullah, North Waziristan and Atiqullah Wazir, South Waziristan.

All those posted are officers elevated from ranks or those recruited through the provincial civil service. Not a single officer recruited through the central superior services was among those posted as DPOs in the tribal districts.

One of the DPOs is in grade 17 while two are in grade 19 and the rest are in grade 18. A high-level committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of advisor to the chief minister, Ajmal Wazir, to settle the issues of the Levies and Khassadars in the merged districts.

According to a notification, the commissioners and regional police officers were asked to address the issue of Khassadars and Levies by engaging them effectively. “Some of their concerns are ill-founded while others can be addressed without any administrative and financial implications,” said a notification issued from the office of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary. It had asked the IGP to post the DPOs as soon as possible.

Through the notification, five teams of commissioners, regional police officers, deputy commissioners and district police officers were constituted to address various issues of the law-enforcers in the merged districts.

“It should be explained to the Levies and Khassadars that the merger brings far more benefits to them and their communities in the tribal districts. By the recent legislation/ ordinance their service has been protected and avenues of their induction in the police have been provided. Their work environment will remain undisturbed and they will get more powers in combating crimes,” stated the order.

The notification said their refusal to carry out their mandate may constitute willful defiance and may carry greater repercussion. It continued that the process of engagement should be completed as soon as possible but not later than two weeks.