QUETTA, Aug 16: The Balochistan government has established a new department, named the Director-General of Levies, to strengthen and reorganize the levies force in the province, an official notification, issued here on Tuesday, said.

Rear Admiral (retd) Shoukat Hider Changazi would be the first director-general of the newly-created levies department, while six directors would be appointed in six zones.

The new department is said to have been set up to make the levies an effective force to maintain law and order and give protection to the national highways.

About 95 per cent area of the province is under the jurisdiction of the levies force, while police control only five per cent area.