PTI govt asked to fulfill pledge on police-levies merger

KHAR: A jirga here on Sunday asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to honour its commitment by merging the services of the Bajaur Levies force into the police.

Speaking at the jirga, former Member National Assembly (MNA) Shahabuddin Khan asked the PTI government to implement in letter and spirit the recommendations of the Sartaj Aziz committee on Fata reforms. Jamaat-e-Islami Member Provincial Assembly Sirajuddin Khan, Awami National Party’s Gul Afzal Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Maulana Abdul Rasheed, PTI’s Syed Ahmad Jan, Mufti Hanifullah, a large number of tribal elders and Levies personnel were present on the occasion. The jirga was held at the Civil Colony in Khar, the district headquarters of Bajaur.

Shahabuddin Khan said the Levies personnel did not need to undergo training to be inducted in the police force. However, he maintained that the educated Levies personnel must be trained in legal knowhow and investigation techniques to enable them to register the first information reports.

The former MNA said there was no need to bring in cops from outside the district.

He added the local elected representatives did not raise voice to highlight the issues of Bajaur in the provincial assembly. “We wanted representation in the KP Assembly so that our problems could be highlighted there,” he remarked, urging the government to merge the services of the Bajaur Levies force in the police force.