KP cabinet to take up regularisation of contract cops today

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet would take up the issue of regularisation of 9,620 special police officers (SPOs) as well as absorption of the first phase of Levies and Khassadar personnel in the KP Police today, a source told The News.

The SPOs have been demanding since long the regularization of their services so they can also avail the incentives like other policemen.

On the other hand, the Levies and Khassadars staged protests for months after they became uncertain about their future following the merger of the erstwhile Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The source added that the list of 9,620 special police constables recruited on contract to assist the regular police in last many years has been sent to the government through the Home Department for provision of permanent jobs.

As many as 1,558 of these SPOs were recruited in Peshawar, 40 in Mardan, 299 in Nowshera, 393 in Charsadda, 162 in Swabi, 161 in Haripur, 98 in Abbotabad, 100 in Mansehra, 81 in Upper Kohistan and 275 in Torghar.

The highest number of SPOs was recruited in Malakand division. Among them, 2182 were recruited in Swat district, 980 in Lower Dir, 592 in Upper Dir, 298 in Chitral, 763 in Buner and 737 in Shangla.

Besides, 99 SPOs were hired in Kohat, 74 in Hangu, 456 in Bannu, 99 in Lakki Marwat, 97 in Dera Ismail Khan, 16 in the Special Branch and 70 in the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) to overcome the shortage of manpower in the KP Police.

A source said that apart from the regularisation of SPOs, the cabinet is also likely to take up the issue of absorption of the Levies and Khassadars personal in the newly merged districts into KP Police.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police had recently written to the government through the Home Department to complete the absorption process in two phases. The letter proposed the absorption all those Khassadars and Levies personnel in the first phase whose cases are clear. It suggested that the remaining personnel could be absorbed in the second phase after due process.

The cabinet is also likely to take up the issue of amendment in the Code of Civil Procedure and the concern of the lawyers over the issue. Lawyers have been on strike for the last many days against the amendments in the code as well as the narcotics laws.

Despite assurance from the government on a number of occasions, the lawyers have decided to continue their strike till the government moves the bill in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for ensuring the needed amendments in the laws.