LANDI KOTAL: Journalists from the three sub-divisions of Khyber tribal district have demanded posting of qualified and experienced police officials in the region to cope with the rapidly changing situation in the aftermath of merger of erstwhile Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In a joint meeting held in Jamrud Press Club on Sunday, they said that posting of retired, inexperienced and junior khasadars on important posts of DSP and SHO resulted in complicating the already confused situation. They said that khasadars were yet to comply with their new official responsibilities due to their lack of knowledge about the new policing system.

The meeting took serious exception to the unwarranted raid of on Landi Kotal Press Club by some baton wielding local khasadars on October 13.

Khiyal Mat Shah, the president of Bara Press Club, said that local journalists helped Khasadar and Levies forces by highlighting their demand for absorption into regular police despite the fact that most of them were either little literate or completely illiterate.

Khalil Jibran, president of Landi Kotal Press Club, demanded of the police high ups to provide them security alongside installation of close circuit television cameras at all the three press clubs of Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal.

PROTEST: The family members of those Khasadar and Levies personnel, who lost their lives in war against terrorism, demanded of the administration to revive their suspended monthly stipend.

They held a protest demonstration at the historic Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud on Sunday while holding pictures of their martyred relatives and black flags.

They said that suspension of monthly stipend confronted them with financial problems.

They threatened to extend the protest to Peshawar and Islamabad if their demands were not accepted Meanwhile, khasadars in Bara arrested the alleged killer of a teenage boy on Sunday.

DPO Mohammad Hussain said that Atif Khan, a resident of Malakdinkhel, was arrested after the recovery of the body of 15-year-old Bilawal from agricultural fields in Sipah area on Saturday. He said that the arrested man confessed to his crime and said that the teenager boy was killed in the name of honour.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2019