PESHAWAR: In a major development, the Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Monday announced merger of Khasadar and Levies forces into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police, ARY News reported.

CM Mahmood Khan acknowledged services of Khasadar and Levies personnel for maintaining peace in the province. He said that sacrifices rendered by the Levies and Khasadar Force were not hidden from anyone.

The chief minister vowed that further issues being faced by personnel of the two forces would also be resolved.

He announced that 28,000 officials of both forces will be merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police, whereas, the personnel would be given additional training for wielding law and order situation.

Spokesperson to the KP government, Ajmal Wazir, said that the security personnel will be adjusted into police as per their ranks.

Read More: Levies, Khasadar force get policing powers in tribal districts

Regarding provision of salaries and other allowances, Wazir said Prime Minister Imran Khan and CM Mahmood Khan have instructed that no shortage of funds will occur.

The spokesperson praised sacrifices of Levies and Khasadar Force for fighting terrorism and lawlessness in the province.

On March 14, the personnel of Khasadar and Levies forces had established a protest camp at Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud against two ordinances issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman.

The ordinances pertain to the legal status of the two forces.

They said the former IGP Salahuddin Mehsud had promise unconditional merger of the forces into police, but it wasn’t done accordingly.

In Khar, the tribal elders and leaders of various political parties rejected policing system in the tribal districts and urged the government to give powers of police to Khasadar and Levies forces in the region.

Read More: Govt to ensure employments of Khasadar, Levies personnel: Ajmal Wazir

They also demanded of the government to shift the district judicial complex to Bajaur from neighbouring Dir district immediately.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor on Monday signed two separate ordinances granting special policing powers to Levies and Khasadar force in the newly merged tribal districts.

There would be a separate director and deputy director general in the levies force, said the sources and added that the candidates for the two top slots in the force would be selected from the police force.

Levies and Khasadar force would be gradually merged in the police force, said the sources. It is pertinent to mention here that Levies and Khasadar force had been functioned under the federal government so far.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, on February 3 had decided to enhance salaries and other benefits of Levies and Khasadar Force like regular police.

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