Mohmand residents protest sacking of 800 Khasadars

Block main Peshawar-Mohmand highway for hours

PESHAWAR: Scores of former Khasadar officials, politicians and notables from different Mohmand tribes on Monday staged a protest in Ghalanai, the district headquarters of the Mohmand tribal district, over the sacking 800 Khasadar forces by the district administration.

They also blocked the main Peshawar-Mohmand highway for several hours on Monday.

Notables from the Khwazai, Baizai, and Safi tribes along with leaders of the local Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chapter held up placards, banners as they chanted slogans condemning the district administration and the local Khasadar force commander for firing the officials.

They demanded that an Investigation should be launched into the deductions made in the salaries of Khasadr force officials. They further termed the firings as illegal since a case pertaining to the force is currently pending before the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

While addressing the protesters, PPP district leaders stated that the Khasadar force in Mohmand had rendered matchless scarifies while they defended the district from militant for years.

We were the first line of defense against enemies of the state and also have sacrificed for the honour and sovereignty of the land, while the district administration and district police officer deducted our salaries apart from expelling many from the force, they said.

Senior PPP leader Jangariz Khan said that from 2008 to 2018, more than 800 Khasadar officials hailing from Baizai and Safi areas of the district have been removed from the force by the district administration. He went on to term this a conspiracy against the tribes.

“This is oppression because it has resulted in starvation in the houses of those poor officials,” Jangraiz said, adding that these sacked officials have no platform to file their complaints.

Despite their sacrifices, the PPP leader said, some 800 officials now find themselves frozen out of the force which is an injustice.

Noting that an appeal has been filed against their dismissal before the PHC, local leader Lal Badsha said that the local district administration and the district police officer must revoke the dismissal orders and reinstate the Khasadar officials. He further said that Khasadars are due to be paid more than Rs25,000 but they are not paid more than Rs15,000. The balance sum, he alleged, is being siphoned off by senior officials of the force.

“There should be probe into the matter,” a senior Khasadar leader told The Express Tribune. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2019.