KP Police want upgraded scales, increase in martyrs’ package

IGP writes to PTI govt to bring salaries on a par with Punjab’s

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police have once again taken up the issue of the upgradation of junior ranks and increase in compensation package for the martyred cops and asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to bring it at par with Punjab and federal capital Islamabad, a source said on Tuesday.

The issue was taken up a few months back also, but the then chief secretary returned the proposal citing the reason that there is no such precedent in other provinces. The KP Police now wants the government to revise the grades as well as the martyrs’ package as the Punjab Police and Islamabad Police have already upgraded the scales and package for the welfare of families of their fallen men.

“Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani has once again written to the chief minister and chief secretary for the upgradation of the pay scale of police constable from BPS-5 to BPS-7, head constable from BPS-7 to BPS-9 and assistant sub-inspector from BPS-9 to BPS-11,” the source told The News.

The source said the letter asked the KP chief minister that apart from fighting bravely against the militants, the cops are much more qualified than those in BPS-5 in other departments and they are now being recruited through a transparent and standard process managed by the NTS.

“The previous chief secretary had returned the case on the plea that these grades can only be revised in consonance with other provinces. Now the government of Punjab and federal government have upgraded the ranks of constable, head constable and ASI. This has created a sense of deprivation in the junior ranks of police, which needs your personal intervention,” the source quoted from the letter of IGP to Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

The source added that the government had been asked to constitute a high-level committee headed by the chief secretary to decide the issue of scales and compensation package for police martyrs within three weeks.

“There is a huge difference between the “Shuhada Package” offered by the KP Police and Punjab Police. Although KP province being a war theatre, the package in the province should have been commensurate with the risk but unfortunately it is the other way round,” stated the letter to the provincial government. The letter demanded of the government to bring the martyrs package at par with the Punjab Police.

The KP Police had taken up the issue of compensation package for the martyred cops on a number of occasions. The force has sacrificed around 1,200 men during the last about 15 years, which is more than any other province in the country.

The compensation package for a martyred cop of the KP Police is less than that given in the other provinces. Besides, those injured in terrorist attacks and in encounters with criminals have no proper hospital for treatment.