KHYBER: All Fata retired Khasadar and Levies force action committee announced on Monday to lay siege to the offices of the district police officers in all the seven merged districts and lock them permanently if their demand for regularisation of their services on the pattern of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police was not met till Tuesday (today).

The action committee members announced their decision at a protest camp they organised at the historic Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud.

Committee chairman Said Jalal called upon all the former Khasadar and Levies personnel to reach the Khyber DPO’s office in Shah Kas area before midday on Tuesday, after which the offices of the DPOs would be locked across the merged districts if their 22-point charter of demand was not accepted till midday.

He also appealed to all the DPOs in the merged districts to voluntarily vacate their offices without putting up any resistance, and warned of a backlash if the personnel were stopped from laying siege to the DPOs’ offices.

“The IGP, the provincial government and the security officials shall stop playing with the sentiments of the former Khasadar and Levies officials and their families as they demand only their legal constitutional rights on the pattern of the KP police,” Mr Jalal insisted.

He, however, said that all the police stations would remain open with SHOs regularly performing their official duties , but no orders from the DPOs would be entertained.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2024