SPOs see service regularisation after a long wait

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has finally regularised the services of Special Police Officers (SPOs) recruited all over the province in the last many years to assist the regular police in fighting terrorism.

A list of around 9,620 special police constables recruited to assist the regular police for years was sent to the government through the Home Department for provision of permanent jobs last month. The process had been going on for the last several months but it was postponed on numerous occasions for one or the other technical reason.

Thought the decision to regularize the services of the SPOs was taken by the cabinet on Tuesday, it was scheduled earlier last month along with the absorption of the Levies and Khassadar officials in the KP Police. The regularization was, however, delayed and only their services contracts were extended.

After the law and order situation worsened in KP over a decade ago and police needed more manpower to fight terrorism, the provincial government decided to recruit constables through contract. Apart from fresh recruits, ex-servicemen were also hired on contract to help overcome the shortage of manpower.

According to the official figures, as many as 1,558 of these SPOs were recruited in Peshawar in the last many years, 40 recruited in Mardan, 299 in Nowshera, 393 in Charsadda, 162 in Swabi, 161 in Haripur, 98 in Abbottabad, 100 in Mansehra, 81 in Upper Kohistan and 275 in Torghar.

The highest number of SPOs was recruited in Malakand division after militants had taken over control of a large area and many policemen even quit their jobs. Among the SPOs hired in Malakand, 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 to overcome the shortage of manpower in the KP Police.