North Waziristan new DPO to face tough challenges

PESHAWAR: The transfer of the district police officer (DPO), North Waziristan only two months after his posting shows the job will not be easy for the new police chief in this troubled tribal district.

There are reports that more changes are likely in coming days in a couple of districts where the police have not been performing well and the bosses want good officers posted there. The authorities on Monday transferred DPO North Waziristan, Kifayatullah and posted him SP Frontier Reserve Police in Bannu. The incumbent SP City Peshawar Shafiullah Gandapur was posted as the new DPO in North Waziristan. Apart from the firing incident at the security forces’ checkpost in Khar Qamar near Boya in North Waziristan where several people died, a couple of other law and order incidents were reported in the district in recent weeks. Attacks on security forces using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were also reported in North Waziristan recently. In the latest attack on June 7, four soldiers including three officers were martyred in an IED blast near Boya. There are a number of challenges that the new DPO and his police force are going to face in North Waziristan.

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) also has a significant presence in North Waziristan. Two MNAs of the PTM from North Waziristan and South Waziristan have already been arrested.

The district administration has imposed Section 144 of CrPC in North Waziristan and all kind of gatherings have been banned to maintain law and order. “I will share my plans for improved security in the district when I assume charge,” the new DPO North Waziristan, Shafiullah Gandapur told The News. He has yet to be relieved from the charge of SP City in Peshawar. He is likely to assume charge of the new office in a couple of days.

The KP Police had posted DPOs in the seven newly merged districts of the erstwhile Fata around two months back. The removal of one of the officers only after two months shows that their performance is being strictly monitored.

This would send a message to other DPOs in the newly merged districts as well as others in the province who have not been performing well. The spokesman for the KP Police did not offer any comment when asked as to why the North Waziristan DPO was transferred. “A couple of more officers are also likely to be removed because they mishandled some important incidents,” the source said.

The KP Police have also been facing disciplinary issues in recent months. Some officers were found quarrelling with each other in public and a number of lobbies have emerged with the support of one or the other senior cop.