Heirs of martyred Khasadar officials demand compensation

Heirs of Levies and Khasadar forces are demanding compensation guaranteed by the government under the Shuhada package

Heirs of Levies and Khasadar forces, who have been martyred in the war against terror, are demanding compensation guaranteed by the government under the Shuhada package.

Youngsters carrying pictures of their slain fathers maintained that officials of the Khasadar forces had worked alongside the army, frontier corps troops and police to drive terrorists from the region and had sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country.



At a protest camp in the Jamrood Bazaar, they lamented that those in power had neglected their duty in ensuring the rights of the families of the martyred by not providing any alternative jobs to the kin of martyred Khasadars or any compensation as per the Shuhada Package.

Despite successfully clearing the region of terrorism, the children of the martyred soldiers claimed that they have been left to live a miserable life while the monthly awards provided by the political administration in the former tribal areas have also been suspended after the political administrations were abolished and the tribal areas merged into the province.

“If our demands are not met, we will stage a protest outside the parliament,” the demonstrators warned.

In a separate protest in Khyber, Khasadar forces working for three tehsils including Jamrood, Baara and Landi Kotil jointly staged a sit-in to protest against the recent merger. They expressed the fear that the measure had rendered them redundant.



Former parliamentary leader Shah Gul Afridi tried to placate the protesters and assured them of his full support. He vowed to raise their demands at every level and pledged that he would go to all extent to ensure that the services of Khasadar forces continue indefinitely.

He also pledged to double the salaries and benefits awarded to the people working for Khasadar forces.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2018.