Levies demand release of salaries

PESHAWAR: Chairman of the Fata Levies Union Subedar Major Saeed Jalal has warned to launch a protest movement and stage sit-in if the government did not appoint local people in the Levies and release their salaries after the merger of the Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, he said that they supported merger of Levies in the police force but after the merger of their forces, their future should not be put at stake. Flanked by his supporters, he said that their people were forcibly retired only to accommodate others, which he said was an injustice.

He said the Levies had rendered sacrifices in the fight against terrorism but instead of promoting them, they were removed from service. He said the Levies and Khassadars should be merged and later the local people should be appointed. Saeed Jalal said the salaries of the Khassadar and Levies had also been stopped. He demanded immediate release of their salaries.