Empty pockets: Special police force unpaid for last four months

Personnel say exhausted all other avenues, forced to protest at police lines


Our Correspondent February 03, 2016
PHOTO: ONLINEINDUS

PESHAWAR: Retired army soldiers serving in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa special police were forced to protest and demand their salaries for the last four months. Gathered outside Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines, the demonstrators tried to gain access to the area, but police managed to close the road.

Mukhtiar Ali, one of the protesters, told The Express Tribune he serves in Mattani, but the non-payment of salaries for the last four months forced him to join the demonstration with his peers. Like many other former military men serving the police, he arrived at the protest hoping to find some answers, but was given none.

Police detained some of the men and forced them into a van; the demonstrators eventually dispersed after an hour.

“We have exhausted all our chances to get food on loan from shopkeepers by making false promises,” said Ali. He added the salary issue started eight months ago and was nowhere near being fixed. “If the police department can’t pay us, they should terminate our services and give the dues.”

Another protester, Imdad Khan, said he came to collect the salary of his brother Ali Gohar Shaheed who died in a bomb explosion in Panjkatta area of the city. “My brother got Rs500,000 in pension, but his salary was not paid for four months and I am here to collect it for his family,” said Imdad. He revealed his brother’s salary was Rs22,000 a month.

Protecting their turf

The police closed the only road to the Civil Secretariat, causing problems for visitors who waited in long queues to get inside.  “I have to give a presentation on a project and then go back to Karak,” said Farmanullah, chairman of Sada-e-Thal, a non-governmental organisation. He came to the social welfare department, but was stopped by the police at the gate.

“You can’t close the gate of the secretariat which is a public space. The police have already created so many hurdles and reduced entries in the name of security.” He was negotiating with the police guards who were not letting anyone in.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd,  2016.

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