“I was put in lock-up several times over raising my voice for provision of incentives and facilities and also being mistreated by the local political authorities,” said a senior Levies official.

He said that only khasadars were deputed at lucrative checkposts across Khyber Agency while they were exposed to tough raids. “The ammunition, pistols and guns meant for Levies Force are dumped in a store in Landi Kotal tehsil, political officials either gift the same to their guests or give them to private guards,” he alleged.

Security experts believe that forces should be facilitated and their issues should be addressed properly as it would have positive effects on their performance. They opine that forces should be under the direct control of someone from forces because they know due requirements and proper use of the force personnel.

Officials of force serving in Fata, Pata complain about shortage of facilities, incentives

Another official, requesting not to be named, told this scribe that they were not provided funds for uniform, ration and accommodation facilities. He added that the motorbikes given to the Levies personnel were actually seized by the political authorities on different pretexts.

“Some of the motorbikes are so old that we cannot use them often. Fuel charges are also not given to us. We buy from our uniform, shoes, hat to whistle for ourselves. We are being treated like vagabonds and not as regular force,” said the official.

The political authorities in Landi Kotal tehsil, however, denied the allegations and said that incentives, facilities, promotions in service and increase in salaries were given to Levies personnel operating in Fata and frontier regions.

“There is no dump store, Levies Force is doing the best, incentives and promotions are given laid down in the amended service rules of 2012-3. The grievances of the Levies personnel are being addressed by the assistant political agents (APAs) of the respective tribal agencies,” an official clarified.

He said that APAs, who served as operational commandants under the Levies service rules, also at Fata Secretariat wing dealing with law and order affairs acted as an appellate court while the aggrieved parties could also take their cases to Safron service tribunal.

The official said his office had disposed of about 35 cases related to induction procedure. He said around 11,789 Levies personnel were serving in Fata and frontier regions. He said that Shuhada package except land plot was also given to Levies personnel in Fata and frontier regions in case they got killed.

The official at the Fata Secretariat showed a long list of ammunitions which he claimed were being provided to Levies personnel according to their level of training and duty positions.

“This is the list of various kinds of ammunition that we provide to Levies personnel per their training ability and duty place but I am not authorised to share it with media,” he added.

Around 6,000 Levies personnel serving in districts of Malakand, Upper Dir, Dir Lower, Swat, Kohat, Hangu, Torghar, Chitral and Fata were craving for promotions and incentives promised in the amended service rules 2012-13 by the state and frontier regions (Safron) ministry and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home and tribal affairs department.

Majeed Khan, a retired havaldar from Malakand Force, told this scribe that Malakand was the only district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where Levies Force was performing duty of police but successive governments had ignored it.

He said that around 50 Levies personnel had laid their lives in Malakand district while countering militancy. He said that risk allowance was not given to Levies personnel in Malakand district while condition of police stations was also poor. “Malakand district is very important. Genuine issues of Levies Force should be resolved on priority basis. The personnel should be under the control of an official from the force as they know how to use them. Dual status and confusion in service roll should be removed,” Mr Khan suggested.

The Malakand Levies Force is hanging between its dual status when it comes to increase in salaries and promotions.

According to a notification of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, a Levies man serving in other districts of the province draws Rs25,000 salary along with other allowances while his colleague in Malakand gets only Rs15,000 without any other perks.

The Levies Force was raised in 1895 by the British government in Malakand, Dir and Bajaur to tackle the then worst law and order situation. The Levies Force service rules ‘framed’ since then had been operative till 2012-13. Also in the British-era, Levies Force was used to facilitate postal service in the area among the government functionaries and forces at different levels.

Retired Brigadier Mahmood Shah told this scribe that virtually Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata) didn’t exist. He said that he had suggested to then federal interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao to convert Malakand Levies into a full-fledged police force.

“In my view, virtually Pata doesn’t exist. During my tenure as security chief of Fata, I had even given suggestion to Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, the then federal interior minister, to convert Levies Force in Malakand district into police force to improve its efficiency and service delivery,” he said.

Mr Shah said that not fulfilling genuine needs of Levies Force serving in Fata and Pata would have a trickling bad impact on its performance. “Forces have their own particular requirements.

The President of Pakistan and other relevant authorities should take notice of this situation as this is a serious issue,” he added.

Regarding the dual status of Malakand district, Mr Shah said that authorities were treating the issue like ‘neither fish nor fowl’. He suggested that the authorities concerned should give the issue a serious thought.

A senior official at Safron ministry in Islamabad told this scribe that Levies Force had no big issue. He said that incentives and increase in salaries were being given to it as per the rules.

“Levies Force is carrying out responsibilities in a befitting manner both in Fata and Pata. I don’t think they have any big issue. Their problems are addressed at different levels,” the official said.

He said that under the rules, Levies personnel were entitled to salary, allowances, gratuity and pension and compensation in case of killing or fatal injury and healthcare and also to five per cent quota for their sons and wards in service.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2016