PESHAWAR, March 18: In line with the government’s decision to integrate Fata into the NWFP, coinciding with the extension of the Police Act to the tribal areas, a total of 40 police stations would be set up in Fata to take care of general law and order situation in the tribal belt, sources told Dawn.

Following the merger of a large portion of Frontier Constabulary with the Frontier Corps to overcome multiplicity of law enforcement agencies as envisaged under the government’s reforms programme for Fata, the Khasadar and levies - the internal force every administrative unit (agency) in Fata has - would be imparted proper training to make them efficient and effective enough to take care of law and order situation in the tribal belt.

Proposed to be named Mohafiz force or levies, the new-look law enforcement agency for policing in the tribal belt would be equipped with modern weapons, communication system and vehicles to take on the new responsibility, the sources said.

“The reforms programme (for Fata) envisages bringing the whole of Fata under the administrative control of the government, raising the state’s writ from the current 10 per cent to the 100 per cent of the area making Fata,” said a senior government functionary.

The merger of Frontier Constabulary with Frontier Corps, said the sources, had been necessitated to reduce multiplicity of law enforcement agencies, reduce expenditure in addition to redefining the role of various law enforcement agencies apparently in line with the basic reforms the government wanted to introduce in Fata to bring these areas to the mainstream.

“The purpose, for which Frontier Constabulary, was raised, i.e. to prevent tribal incursions into the settled districts of NWFP, has over the years diminished due to changed environment in the tribal areas. With the integration of Fata into settled area the need will cease to exist. Some of the tasks assigned to Frontier Constabulary, e.g. maintenance of law and order, prevention of gun-running and anti-narcotics duties are also being performed by the Frontier Corps, hence there is a need to remove this anomaly of duplication of tasks and a unified force with better command, control and coordination is recommended to be organized and assigned these tasks,” contained an official document available with Dawn.

According to the sources, the government has estimated that about Rs200 million would be needed to set up 40 police stations at different places of Fata.

“The estimated cost,” said the official sources “has been calculated at the rate of Rs5 million for setting up a single police station.”

Apart from this, the government will also need Rs80 million to acquire some 80 vehicles - initially two vehicles for every police station in addition. Besides, the government will also require Rs80 million to meet recurring cost, excluding salaries (Rs2 million for every police station) for 40 police stations.

Some of the funds required to meet the above mentioned tasks, said the sources, might well be met through the three million dollar grant Washington had extended to Islamabad.

Similarly, said the sources, the federal government might also provide Rs20 million for the purchase of weapons for the new security force the Fata was going to have.