KHAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will place 150 personnel each of the Levies force under the control of every district administration in all the newly-merged districts, while the rest will remain under the command of district police officers, Dawn has learnt.

A well-informed source in the district administration here told this correspondent that the government had made the decision through a notification issued by the home and tribal affairs department.

The notification, the source said had stated that in exercise of powers conferred under sub-section 3 of section 8 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Levies Force Ordinance, 2019, the government has decided to place 150 Levies personnel along with weapons and equipment under the disposal of the district administration of every merged district.

The notification further said 75 personnel each would be given to the administrations of Dera Adamkhel tribal subdivision of Kohat district, Bettani subdivision of Lakki Marwat, Wazir subdivision of Bunnu, Jandola subdivision of Tank and Darrzinda subdivision of DI Khan district.

It stated that 100 personnel of the Levies force would be conferred to administration of Hasan Khel subdivision of Peshawar district.

It said the Levies personnel, once placed at the disposal of respective district administrations, would not be transferred before completion of at least two years at a place, and not without prior consultation with the deputy commissioner concerned.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2019