QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) has accepted a petition for regular hearing against the merger of Levies force with the police department in three districts of the province.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Tahira Safdar and Justice Ejaz Swati on Tuesday accepted two constitutional petitions against declaring the revenue limits of districts of Quetta, Gwadar and Lasbela as A-Area and issued notices to the chief secretary, home secretary, the Inspector General of Police and the director general of Levies Force.

One petition was filed by General Secretary of the Awami National Party Mabat Kaka requesting the high court to nullify the provincial government’s notification regarding Levies force’s merger with police in Quetta, Gwadar and Lasbela. Advocate Attaullah Langove appeared in the court on behalf of Mabat Kaka.

The other petition was filed by the Levies force.

Advocates Nadir Chalgari and Amir Rana represented the Levies force.

The court adjourned the hearing till May 28.

The Balochistan cabinet had decided to merge the Levies force with the police department last month in view of the security situation in the three districts, especially in Gwadar where China is implementing development projects initiated under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2019