K-P seeks FC deployment to guard 'vital installations' amid Police Amman Committee protest

57 low-ranking police officials transferred, including Police Amman Committee president

MIRANSHAH:

In view of the prevailing law and order situation in District Bannu as well as Lakki Marwat and the ongoing protest by members of the Police Amman Committee, the office of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Saturday requested the Home and Tribal Affairs Department to deploy nine platoons of the Federal Constabulary (FC) for the “protection of vital installations”.

The letter available to The Express Tribune asked for nine platoons to guard eight vital installations, of which five were located in Bannu and the rest in Lakki Marwat.

As per the letter, the K-P IGP requested the deployment of two platoons for the Lakki Marwat District Jail and one each for the District Judicial Complex and the District Administration. Meanwhile, in Bannu, one platoon each had been requested to guard the District Jail, District Judicial Complex, DC Office, High Court Bannu Bench and KTN and Grid Station.

The move was in response to the Bannu District Police’s request to the IGP office for the deployment of at least 10 platoons of the FC, comprising 450 personnel, for sensitive security duties.

Bannu District Police Officer, Captain (retd.) Muhammad Furqan Bilal, had sent a letter to the Bannu Regional Police Officer (RPO) on August 28, requesting the deployment of additional security personnel in view of the prevailing law and order situation in the district.

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

According to the letter, the security situation in Bannu had become complicated due to the ongoing protest by personnel associated with the Police Amman Committee, rendering “extreme” difficulties in the movement of officers of the district administration, judiciary and other government officials.

The letter noted explicit threats to officers, obstruction of official movements, road blockades, aerial firing, withdrawal of police personnel from sensitive installations and the possibility of renewed agitation requiring “immediate intervention.”

Separately, the K-P Police also issued a large-scale transfer and posting order for several low-ranking police personnel.

The K-P IGP, on August 28, ordered the transfer of 57 police personnel “with immediate effect”, including Police Amman Committee President Hazrat Umar.

According to the order, LHC Muhammad Naeem was transferred from Bannu to Shangla; FC Hidayatullah from Bannu to Lower Kohistan; FC Muslim from Bannu to Shangla; IHC Mir Zaman from Bannu to Buner; LHC Hazrat Umar from Bannu to Lower Kohistan; LHC Naseebullah from Bannu to Bar Swat; LHC Mehtab Khan from Bannu to Haripur; LHC Sohail Zafar from Bannu to Torghar; and FC Shiraz from Bannu to Nowshera.

The order stated that all the transferred officials were required to report to and assume duties at their new places of posting immediately.

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

In another move by law enforcement, other personnel belonging to different districts and police units were posted to Peshawar, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Security Division, Elite Force, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Special Security Unit (CPEC SSU), Telecommunication and other districts.

According to police sources, the recent transfers were aimed at ensuring the deployment of personnel in accordance with manpower requirements in different districts and police units.

Sources also said that all nine personnel transferred from Bannu were associated with the Police Amman Committee.

The simultaneous protest by the committee's personnel and the transfer of its members have further highlighted the security and manpower situation in the district.

Three days ago, police personnel in Bannu initiated a protest over the transfer of seven police officials. 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.

On the same day, the proposed transfer of K-P IGP Zulfikar Hameed was also put on hold in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the southern districts of the province.