Proxy Khasadars demand job security

As per the custom of tribal areas, the post was mostly hereditary

LANDI KOTAL: “We could not live in our localities without the protection of district government, we rendered sacrifices for the people, defend the land against the Afghan aggressions since the creation of the country, but we have been denied equal treatment from provincial government,” Proxy Khasadar Asgar Ali told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.

Khasadar are tribal police who get stipend from the government but carry their own arms and ammunition. Appointed on community basis, Khasadar hand over their duties to other men of their family who man the area as proxy Khasadar.

At least 1000 proxy Khasadar have staged protests against K-P government measures of merger of all Khasadar and Levies forces into provincial police, except the force who fought against the militants when they were at full might, said Asgar Ali

Tribal community police

Khasadar force was community police in the tribal districts or the erstwhile FATA. The Khasadar could be ranked as most trusted family and it was an award from the political administrations at before and after creation of Pakistan.

Khasadar was irregular police for a certain areas, who were responsible for maintaining Law and order in the certain area of the agency.

As per the custom of tribal areas, a Khasadar could appoint his proxy and the post was mostly hereditary at times many people working on the same post. Only in Jamrud, there were 800 proxy Khasadar registered with the political administration.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2019.