Advanced police set up being proposed for Fata

PESHAWAR: A one-step advanced security arrangement is being proposed for the tribal areas in case of the extension of police there under the Fata reforms that are due for a long time, a source told The News.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home and Tribal Affairs Department as well as the KP Police have held a number of meetings in the recent weeks to propose a model for policing in the tribal areas in case of merger of Fata with KP or any other proposal to streamline the long neglected tribal region.

“A much improved structure of the Counter-Terrorism Department has been proposed for Fata since the tribal areas remained worst affected by violence over the last one and a half decades and can be more vulnerable,” the source said.

He added that three senior superintendents of police (SSPs) have been proposed for Northern, Central and Southern Fata, with one SP assisting them in all the tribal agencies.

“The total number of officers proposed for CTD in Fata includes three SSPs, seven SPs, 51 DSPs, 121 inspectors, 176 sub-inspectors, 226 assistant sub-inspectors, 303 head constables and 1,280 constables,” said the source.

The source said that a total of 95 police stations with 190 police posts are likely to be proposed for Fata if the police were asked to extend its jurisdiction there.

“Out of these, 15 police stations each have been proposed in North Waziristan and South Waziristan, 12 each in Khyber, Bajaur and Mohmand, six in Orakzai and five in Kurram Agency. Besides, three police stations each have been proposed in Frontier Regions of Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan and Tank,” the source said.

“This is the plan being proposed currently. However, there would be much more changes in strength and other facilities after the police, civilian bureaucracy and other concerned institutions reach an agreement,” the source said.

It is yet to be decided to make new ranges in Fata in case of police extension or assign the present regional police officers to look after the adjacent tribal agencies on the lines of the divisional commissioners.

The civilian bureaucracy had proposed setting up a central Levies office at Peshawar for Fata and deployment of some police officers to command the force in different tribal agencies and Frontier Regions. Since the reforms are being undertaken at the federal level, a deputy inspector general of KP Police has been engaged as focal person to prepare a model for policing in all the tribal agencies and Frontier Regions.

A source said that the KP Police had constituted eight committees at the provincial level and another eight at the tribal agency level to complete their homework for setting up police stations, posts and offices in case the regular police system is introduced in Fata.

The agency-wise committees are required to identify vulnerabilities, ascertain cultural acceptability of the regular policing, identify tribal sensitivities, utility of the existing Levies, ascertain training of levies and Khassadars, recommend the total required strength of officers and other policemen, and propose a consolidated security plan.

The committees at the provincial level are to work on training manuals, overcoming the shortcomings of Levies, cultivating positive public opinion, establishments, human resource and others.

“At present, there are 11,739 sanctioned Levies posts in Fata, with 9,505 of them filled, while 2,234 positions are vacant. Besides, there are 17,965 Khassadar personnel currently serving in Fata,” another source told The News.

All the political administrations are preparing their own case for policing in the tribal agencies, suggesting police stations, police posts and checkposts in their areas of jurisdiction. A source said the political administration has proposed setting up of 76 police stations with 9160 cops for South Waziristan Agency alone due to the vulnerabilities in Fata.

Many are hopeful about the mainstreaming of Fata as almost all the stakeholders have increased consultation over the process over the last few weeks.

There, however, are still fears that in case of any delay, the authorities can only extend a few laws to Fata instead of merging it with KP or making it a separate province.

Many want the mainstreaming of not only Fata but the Malakand district and the six Frontier Regions too. Despite being a district of KP, Malakand has no police force and the policing was being done by the Levies under the command of the deputy commissioner.

There are demands for a single system introduced all over the settled, tribal and semi-tribal areas. Currently, there is one system in the 24 districts of the KP while Malakand district, Frontier Regions and tribal agencies have their separate policing and administrative systems. This has caused confusion and complications.