Levies Force assumes charge in 4 districts

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA:

QUETTA: Levies Force is taking power of all those areas which were previously under its control before its merger with police in the then government of General (r) Pervez Musharraf.

It may be mentioned here that Levies Force was established in Balochistan more than a century ago under Sandamanian Policy of indirect rule.

When Pakistan came into being, levies force was not only kept intact but measures were also taken for its strengthening with the passage of time.

Keeping in view the tribal status of Balochistan, it was divided into two parts administratively under the name of “A” and “B” areas.

The Levies force was policed 95 percent of Balochistan while only five percent of the area was under police control. Former government, without confiding in the local communities, had decided to abolish the centuries-old community-based levies force and replace it with the police.

It had taken Rs 5 billion to previous regime to merge Levies Force with police despite opposition of majority of political parties of Balochistan.

The conversion of B areas had taken place in different phases and started in 2003. The first three districts of Balochistan which were converted into A areas were the provincial capital, Quetta, Naseerabad and Lasbela.

Contrary to the decision of Musharraf regime, the incumbent government restored levies forces following a unanimous resolution adopted by Balochistan Assembly.

At first, Levies Forces was restored in six districts of Balochistan last year but process of restoration was stopped after the stay granted by Balochistan High Court on a petition filed by police officials against notification of restoration of former.

The process of restoration of Levies Forces restarted as a full bench of Balochistan High Court (BHC) rejected the petition and upheld the decision of provincial government.

Official sources said, levies personnel took control of B areas from police in many tehsils of Panjgoor, Nushki, Loralai, Harnai, Qila Abdullah and Washuk on Sunday.

As per reports reaching here, members of Levies Force danced on beats of drums and distributed sweets in Nushki after taking control of different tehsils of district from police.

Sources said, Levies Forces would take control of its all previous positions in all thirty districts of province in different phases.

Levies Force was established by Robert Sandeman as back as 1883. Former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf had replaced this formidable force with police while acting against the public wishes. The decision was undone by the Pakistan People’s Party government on the insistence of the provincial government which passed a parliamentary resolution to support the restoration of Levies Force.