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| Police on the run in Malakand region |
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Almost 75% desert force in Buner, 40% in Swat
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: Almost 75 per cent desertion has been reported in Buner district police force while over 40 per cent are staying off the duties in Swat after deterioration in the law and order in Malakand division, a source confided to ‘The News’.
Over 30 per cent of the total strength of Malakand police has either quit jobs or cops are not reporting to their police stations concerned and offices for the past several months. Not only the constabulary but senior officers are also avoiding posting in Malakand for the past two years.
“Almost 310 cops out of the total 400 policemen have reportedly deserted the force in Buner while 820 have quit jobs in Swat. The Swat police comprise of around 2000 policemen,” a source disclosed.
Besides, those, who are not reporting to their respective stations despite repeated orders, include over a 100 cops of the Elite Police Force (EPF) and four platoons, comprising around 136 individuals, of the Frontier Constabulary.
Also, 175 cops have deserted from amongst the 1,300 strength of Dir Lower and over 70 out of the total 800 policemen of Dir Upper districts.
The EPF had already refused to be deployed in Swat when they were tasked to improve the law and order situation there around four months back, saying they would prefer quitting jobs to posting in “the death zone”. The same was the stance of the cops of EPF and policemen of different districts of Frontier when they were directed to report to Buner.
The inspector general of police (IGP) had recently directed the cops of Buner Police migrating along with their families to the IDP camps, to report to their respective police stations and offices. However, the call fell on deaf ear.
Once considered prized posting for senior police officers of the Frontier, Swat valley has lost attraction for the cops as majority has made all-out efforts during the last many months to have their transfer to the volatile district cancelled. Apart from DPOs, SPs, DSPs and SHOs are using all their contacts to put pressure on the Frontier police authorities for transferring them out of the picturesque town. The job is now left to those who are either junior or have no contacts in the power corridors.
Only a couple of years back, a grade-19 officer was serving as DPO in Swat but today the authorities are yet to find any grade 19 DIG to head the entire region.
“Twelve officers have been posted as DPO Swat during the past 21 months, out of which three cops even refused to assume the charge. The rest served for some weeks before getting a better posting in other parts of the province and country,” a source disclosed.
Apart from the DPO of Swat, the posts of DIG of Malakand, additional SP Swat and SP for FRP were also occupied by the officers for brief periods, until they succeeded in getting another lucrative position. The fact is that suicide attacks, ambushes and rocket barrages have made posting in Swat a nightmare for every cop.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
