Lack of service structure demoralising KP’s special police force personnel

SHANGLA: Standing at a police check post in Bisham area of district Shangla, a recruit of Special Police Force (SPF) Ali Gul was disappointed with his job as he was performing his duties without any service structure since 2010.

“We are serving as the most effective police force, which fought at the front line in eliminating the terrorism from Malakand division and other areas, but our fate hangs in balance despite countless sacrifices,” Gul said.

Gul was among the 10,000 SPF personnel who were recruited to assist the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police in the province, particularly in Malakand division, to restore peace. The force was established in 2009 during the Awami National Party (ANP) government to curb the increasing terrorism in the region.

Showing displeasure toward authorities, he told Pakistan Today that he joined the force at such a crucial time when the insurgency was mounting up and nobody was ready to join the force. “Now that we have been recruited, our miseries do not seem to come to an end as delay in salary is a common practice,” he said and added that initially, they were recruited at a petty salary of Rs10,000, which was raised to Rs15,000 in 2015 when their contracts were renewed.

“Wearing a 14 kg bulletproof vest made of metal plates and carrying arms up to 10kg, we are performing duties like regular police,” he said.

While demanding to regularize the SPF personnel, Gul said that dozens of his colleagues had been killed and many received injuries while performing their duties.

After the establishment of SPF, as many as 10,000 personnel were recruited. Majority of the personnel among those were local youth who belonged to the districts of Malakand division while a large number of them were retired army and FC personnel.

An official in KP Police informed Pakistan Today that all the personnel were highly trained to fight against terrorists while more than 2,500 were trained by army instructors. He admitted that SPF personnel played a vital role in the restoration of peace in the region.

“This is true that despite their countless sacrifices, they are spending tough life as they often face a delay in their monthly salaries,” official said.

He informed that KP government in May 2016 had decided to terminate the services of SPF due to a shortage of funds but it was opposed by the then inspector general of police (IGP) Nasir Durani. “Due to lack of privileges and job uncertainty, at least 1,000 recruits of SPF have resigned from the job,” the official said and added that he was unable to comment why the government had failed to make proper service structure for such personnel.

KP government Spokesman Shah Farman said that the KP government was fully aware of the issues of SPF personnel and various proposals were under consideration in this regard. Talking to Pakistan Today, he said that as KP government has empowered the police under Police Act 2016, it also has different options to keep the SPF personnel under a proper service structure.

“Despite knowing that a lot of personnel were recruited on a political basis, we don’t believe anyone should be deprived him of the job,” Farman said adding that KP police had suggested that personnel who meet the criteria should be adjusted in the proper police force and allow the rest of the personnel to keep their jobs until the age limit of 60 years.

“They were getting a low salary of just Rs10,000 per month, and this was our government who managed funds to raise their salaries,” the spokesman said and added that once they were merged with the mainstream police force, their salary issues would be resolved automatically.