BAJAUR: A group of several former personnel of the Bajaur Levies and Khasadar forces, who had been sacked from service some 12 years ago, here on Sunday expressed concern over non-reinstatement of their jobs despite a court verdict and announced to launch a protest-sit outside the residence of provincial minister Anwar Zeb Khan here from Monday (today).

Addressing a press conference here in Bajaur Press Club, a leader of the sacked personnel, Fazal Rahman, said that over 150 personnel of both the Bajaur Levies and Khasadar forces were terminated between 2008 and 2011 for unknown reasons.

He said that following their termination they had contacted the former political administration, but the officials refused their requests to restore their services then.

Mr Rahman said they later approached the Peshawar High Court, which according to him restored their services in 2017 and ordered then political administration to release all their salaries due thus far with immediate effect.

The leader of the affected personnel recalled that they had staged a sit-in in Peshawar in December 2020 where provincial minister Anwar Zeb, who also belongs to Bajaur, had conveyed to them to end the sit-in as the provincial government had agreed to accept their demands.

He held the provincial minister responsible for the delay in their reinstatement and vowed that they would continue their struggle until their services were restored. He said they had decided to stage a protest sit-in outside Anwar Zeb’s residence in Raghagan area from Monday (today).

He said the affected personnel along with their family members would participate in the sit-in that would be continued till acceptance of their demand for reinstatement.

The sacked personnel also held a protest rally against the government, which was also attended by a number of ANP activists.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2021