KHAR: The local authorities have decided to withdraw Levies personnel from the elders in Bajaur tribal district, sources told Dawn here on Sunday.

They said the decision was made during a meeting of the senior administration officials as they declared the overall law and order situation in the district satisfactory.

The sources said the total number of Levies personnel in the district was about 2,200, however, more than 50 per cent of them were either serving out of the district with former officials of the administration or were deployed with tribal elders and other important persons for their security.

They said the relevant officials had been asked to immediately prepare lists of tribal elders and other persons, having the Levies personnel deputed for their security.

An official of the district administration, who oversees the Bajaur Levies affairs, confirmed to Dawn the move to withdraw the personnel from the elders.

According to the official, the administration had directed all the Levies personnel deployed with elders to join their duties and report to Levies lines within two days. However, the official said as per the decision, some Levies men would still remain deployed with a number of senior elders and high profile people.

He said there were a number of people in the district who had been given up to 10 Levies personnel for their security. After the withdrawal these Levies personnel would be deployed at various posts along the Pak-Afghan border.

It is to be mentioned here that PTI MNA Gul Zafar Khan during a press conference had expressed displeasure over the increasing number of Levies officials doing security duty of influential persons and former officials, and had asked the administration to withdraw the personnel for such a job.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2018