MINGORA: The residents of Swat showed mixed response to the decision of withdrawing security from certain people in the district.

Security was withdrawn from the people on the directives of Supreme Court of Pakistan Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar. Following the directives, 384 policemen were withdrawn from the individuals in Swat.

“Security provided to provincial and federal ministers, lawmakers, village defence committee members, lawmakers and other influential people has been withdrawn. All the policemen have also been posted in different police stations,” said DPO Wahid Mehmood.

The move was appreciated by some people, who said that there was no need to provide special security to some individuals.

Village defence body members say they are still fighting militants

“There is no difference between people as everyone is equal citizen of the country. It is the duty of police to provide security to all people alike,” said Aftab Ali, a resident of Mingora.

The local people said that peace was restored in Swat and there was no threat to individuals in the district.

However, the individuals, who were provided with security, showed concerns over the decision. They said that they were facing threats from extremists and required security.

“Those, who played role in the fight against militants, need security because they are facing threats from the militants, who fled the area.

“The government must think about them as it is risky to leave them vulnerable to threats,” said Rehmat Ali Khan, former MPA and district general secretary of ANP, whose elder brother Dr Shamsher Ali Khan was killed by a suicide bomber in 2009.

He said that workers and leaders of ANP remained on the forefront in the war against militants in Swat. “We fought militants alongside security forces to eliminate terrorism from Swat but in return they were left alone,” he added.

Irfan Hayat Chattan, district president of PPP, said that his two brothers were shot dead by militants.

“The government later on provided us with police security and now it has been withdrawn,” he said.

The village defence committee members also said that they were confused as their security was withdrawn but they were still fighting against ant-state elements. “We are volunteer force guarding our areas from militants and other anti-state elements for which we have been attacked several times. Now we are left at the mercy of militants, who can attack us anytime,” said a member of the committee.

The members of the defence committee said that they would make their own arrangements if government did not provide them with security.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2018