Key Takeaways
- Levies and Khasadar forces in merged districts have announced a boycott of polio vaccination campaign duties.
- The boycott is in response to the government's failure to meet their service-related demands.
- A fine of Rs25 million has been imposed on any personnel who participate in polio duties during the campaign.
Levies and Khasadar personnel in the merged districts of Pakistan have announced a boycott of the upcoming polio vaccination campaign, set to begin on September 21. The decision was made during a protest sit-in at the historic Bab-i-Khyber, where the chairman of the Levies and Khasadar forces' committee, Syed Jalal, stated that the boycott would continue until their demands are met.
According to a police official, the protesting forces have decided to impose a fine of Rs25 million on any Levies or Khasadar personnel who participate in polio duties during the campaign. The decision was taken by representatives of the protesting forces attending the sit-in.
The development has raised concerns about the arrangements for the upcoming polio campaign in the merged districts, including Mohmand, where the three-day drive is scheduled to begin on September 21.
The protesting personnel have also stopped registering first information reports (FIRs) and making entries in daily police diaries at police stations in the merged districts as part of their protest, according to police sources.
A police officer stated that former Levies and Khasadar personnel had yet to receive a clearly defined service structure. He claimed that their service was being counted from 2019 following the merger of erstwhile Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which had caused concerns among the personnel regarding their seniority and service benefits.
The personnel have also raised concerns over the absence of a clear mechanism for promotions and pensions, describing the situation as unfair and seeking a defined framework for their career progression and retirement benefits.
The committee announced plans to establish protest camps outside the offices of deputy commissioners in each merged district, where the demonstrations would continue until the demands were addressed.
Despite the ongoing protest, police personnel in Mohmand recently demonstrated the importance of timely intervention in maintaining public order when they peacefully resolved a dispute over a passageway in Kargan Kalay, Prang Ghar. A police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ali Murad Khan mediated between the two parties after a brief altercation had temporarily blocked the passage.
The route was reopened after the parties reached an agreement. The protesting Levies and Khasadar personnel maintain that their boycott and demonstrations will continue until their demands are accepted and the government's commitments are implemented.
