K-P Police asks excise to change uniforms

Excise secretary says they are considering new fatigues

PESHAWAR: The tiff between the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police and the Excise and Taxation department does not seem to be abating after the former asked the latter to change uniforms worn by their forces since they were too similar to those worn by officers of the provincial police department.

Officials with knowledge of the development told The Express Tribune that the Deputy Inspector General Headquarters of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police had written a letter to the K-P Excise, Taxation and Narcotics department, complaining about the uniform used by the excise police.



Expressing concerns that the uniforms worn by the excise police looked to be similar to the ones worn by the K-P police, the excise and taxation department was asked to change them so that officers of both forces look distinct.

The DIG further complained that some excise officers, clad in K-P police-like uniforms, had been introducing themselves as officers of the K-P police to the public.

The police department also raised objections over the location of the check posts set up by the Excise Department, which are often situated adjacent to pickets set up by the K-P police. This is especially true near toll plazas on highways and motorways.



Officials further said that the K-P inspector general of police had called the K-P Excise, Taxation and Narcotics secretary Javed Marwat for a meeting on Tuesday in which the IG told Marwat about the issues.

When asked about the meeting, Marwat said that the meeting covered multiple issues and not specifically about the uniforms or the check posts.

“We have other issues. It was not pertinently or particularly on this issue,” he said, adding that the police have not asked for a change in the uniforms of the excise department or excise police.

Instead, Marwat said that the police had asked the excise department to use their ‘authorised’ and distinctive uniforms.

“Every force has its own uniform. Like other reforms in the department, we were also considering distinctive uniforms.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2018.