Deployment of non-tribal police in Khyber protested

Tue, July 21, 2020

KHYBER: The Khyber Qaumi Jirga on Sunday organised a protest sit-in at the historic Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud against the deployment of non-tribal traffic police in the Khyber district.

Elders of different tribes and some activists of political parties participated in the dharna.

Malak Bismillah, the convener of jirga, said on the occasion that they were opposed to conversion of Khasadar and Levies into the police after the tribal regions’ merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as it was ‘against the aspirations of the tribal people’.

He insisted that the entire merger plan was illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional as the step was taken in haste in violation of the constitutional requirement of ascertaining the will of the people.

Malak Bismillah said a former KP governor had assured a tribal jirga prior to the merger that police system would not be extended to the tribal regions and the Khasadar and Levies forces would continue to remain a tribal force while performing their official responsibilities.

“We won’t allow the police system to operate in our area nor would accept Khasadar and Levies’ conversion into regular police force,’’ he stated.

Malak Salahuddin, another jirga leader, said deployment of police from other districts in Khyber or any other tribal district won’t be accepted and they would continue to resist any such move.

Elder Malak Israr said the merger plan had proved a big failure as the government had failed to provide promised funds for development of the terrorism-affected tribal regions.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2020

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