WANA: The personnel of Khasadar force blocked the Wana-Azam Warsak Road here for three hours on Saturday to protest non-payment of salaries.

According to witnesses, a large number of Khasadars blocked the main road to traffic to register their protest against the delay in payment of their salaries.

Subedar Daud Khan Wazir, who led the protest, told mediapersons on the occasion that the provincial government had stopped salaries of at least 1,400 Khasadar personnel for last five months. He said the issue was taken up with the district police officer in Wana but no progress was made. He said that Khasadars would abandon all the checkposts and won’t join their duty till the notification to release the salaries was issued.

He said only Levies personnel would perform their duty at the checkposts in the district. He said the salaries of Khasadars had been transferred to the district accounts office but the DPO and the officials of the provincial government were not releasing the amount citing non-issuance of notification.

When contacted, adviser to the chief minister on information, Ajmal Khan Wazir, told Dawn that their salaries had been dispatched to the accounts office. He said the notification regarding appointment of the Khasadars would be issued soon and so would the salaries.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2020