Bannu police protest over transfer of seven K-P officials, boycott duties

Protesters demand review of transfer orders, warns protest can be expanded if their concerns are not addressed

MIRANSHAH:

A protest by police personnel in Bannu over the transfer of seven Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police officials on Tuesday disrupted policing and traffic in parts of the district, with the Police Peace Committee calling for a boycott of duties and demanding that the transfer orders be withdrawn.

The protesters gathered at the police lines in Bannu after the Police Peace Committee called on personnel to register their protest against the transfer orders and stop performing their duties. The Police Peace Committees in Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Tank called on the affected personnel to report to the police lines and boycott their duties, resulting in reduced security deployment and disruption to traffic management in parts of the district.

The protesters demanded a review of the transfer orders, warning that the protest could be expanded if their concerns are not addressed.

Head of the Bannu Peace Committee, Hazratullah, said the protest would continue until the transfers were cancelled. He said the police peace committee members would also boycott their duties in protest. “We have worked very hard to restore and maintain peace in Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Tank and have provided security to our people,” he said.

The boycott affected police services in parts of Bannu, including security arrangements at important government and sensitive locations. Meanwhile, the boycott reportedly led to increased traffic congestion at several locations in Bannu and Lakki Marwat, with commuters facing significant delays on roads where traffic police are absent.

According to transfer orders issued by the Peshawar Central Police Office, on the directives of the Additional Inspector General (AIG), seven police personnel were transferred with immediate effect.

Under the orders, Head Constable Nisar Ali (535) was transferred from Police Lines Lower Dir to PTS Swat; Constable Ghulam Abbas Khan (3024) from Elite Force Peshawar to Haripur District; Constable Muhammad Arif (549) from Elite Force Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan District; and Constable Shafiullah (160/INV) from Investigation Bannu to Swat District.

Read: Transfer of K-P IGP put on hold

Similarly, Constable Muhammad Atif Khan (2369/4582) was transferred from Elite Force Bannu to Upper Chitral District; Constable Samiullah (1041) from Lakki Marwat to CTD Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar; while Constable Khalid Rahman (441) was transferred from District Traffic Mobile Lakki Marwat to Shangla District.

Police personnel expressed concern that sudden transfers to distant districts are creating serious difficulties for affected personnel and their families. The protesters demanded that the transfer orders be reviewed and their concerns addressed.

Police authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the protest or the reported boycott of duties.

K-P IGP transfer put on hold

The protest came a day after the proposed transfer of K-P Inspector General of Police Zulfikar Hameed was put on hold. On Monday, the federal government sought fresh consultations over the names submitted for the appointment of the province’s new police chief.

According to provincial government sources, one of the three senior police officers whose names were forwarded by the K-P government to the federal government may be dropped from the list. Efforts were also under way through back-channel contacts to include a new name and restart the process for appointing the provincial police chief.

A senior K-P police officer said the transfer of IGP Zulfikar Hameed was not being pursued for the time being in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the southern districts of the province.

“Given the current security situation, the provincial police chief is likely to continue for now. Further consultations with the federal government are expected regarding the appointment of the next IGP,” the officer said.

The officer added that one of the officers on the existing list was likely to be removed, after which the process could begin again with a revised list of candidates.