THE Balochistan government’s decision to formally merge the over century-old levies force into the Balochistan Police and abolish the distinction between ‘A’ and ‘B’ areas represents a paradigm shift in its approach to the administration of law and order for improving security across the province. By placing all territories under police jurisdiction, the government has ended an arrangement rooted in colonial-era governance to better address crime and the province’s present-day security challenges. The move is expected to resolve long-standing administrative ambiguity, end uneven and discretion-based enforcement of the law, and equip the province for better policing and counterterrorism under a uniform police command structure. While levies personnel are often recognised for their local knowledge and community ties, the force, which controlled nearly 90pc of the province’s territory, was ill-equipped to combat modern organised crime, militancy and the crime-terror nexus. Moreover, they were frequently accused of operating at the behest of their tribal chiefs, undermining their role as impartial law enforcers. Thus, the move will both improve the state’s writ and ensure accountability.

That said, the decision may trigger criticism from the beneficiaries of Balochistan’s fragmented policing, as well as those who genuinely believe that the province’s unique sociopolitical and geographic realities demand a localised, community-based policing structure as provided under the levies force operating under the district administration. This is not the first time that the levies have been merged with police. In 2002, under Gen Pervez Musharraf, the levies were disbanded, its personnel merged with police and the entire province declared an ‘A’ area under police control. Yet the security situation did not improve, leading to the reversal of the move in 2010. At the end of the day, the police-levies merger signifies the rationale that centralisation and institutional consolidation of the provincial law-enforcement agencies will deliver the desired results and strengthen state authority in Balochistan. However, if this move is to succeed — the province has been grappling with terrorist violence for over two decades — the authorities would have to integrate the strengths of the levies, such as community trust, into the reformed policing structure rather than just absorbing the personnel.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2026