MOHMAND: Personnel of the Levies and Khasadar forces in the merged tribal districts have announced a boycott of an upcoming polio vaccination campaign set to begin on September 21, citing what they described as the government and police department’s failure to fulfil commitments regarding their service-related demands.

An official of the Mohmand police told Dawn that the announcement was made during a protest sit-in at the historic Bab-i-Khyber, where the chairman of the Levies and Khasadar forces’ committee, Syed Jalal, said the boycott would continue until their demands were accepted and their longstanding issues resolved.

According to the police official, the committee had also decided to impose what it described as a fine of Rs25 million on any Levies or Khasadar personnel who participated in polio duties during the campaign.

He said the decision had been taken by representatives of the protesting forces attending the sit-in.

The protesting personnel have also stopped registering first information reports (FIRs) and making entries in daily police diaries at police stations in the merged districts as part of their protest, according to police sources.

The development has raised concerns about arrangements for the upcoming polio campaign in the merged districts, including Mohmand, where the three-day drive is scheduled to begin on September 21. Last month, Khyber police also threatened to boycott their duties over similar concerns, but police officials later performed their duties as per routine.

A police officer said former Levies and Khasadar personnel had yet to receive a clearly defined service structure. He claimed that their service was being counted from 2019 following the merger of esrtwhile Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which he said had caused concerns among the personnel regarding their seniority and service benefits.

The personnel have also raised concerns over the absence of a clear mechanism for promotions and pensions, describing the situation as unfair and seeking a defined framework for their career progression and retirement benefits.

The protesters said their agitation would continue until the government implemented its commitments and addressed their service-related grievances.

The committee also announced plans to establish protest camps outside the offices of deputy commissioners in each merged district, where the demonstrations would continue until the demands were addressed.

Meanwhile, despite the ongoing protest, police personnel in Mohmand recently demonstrated the importance of timely intervention in maintaining public order when they peacefully resolved a dispute over a passageway in Kargan Kalay, Prang Ghar.

A police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ali Murad Khan mediated between the two parties after a brief altercation had temporarily blocked the passage. The route was reopened after the parties reached an agreement.

The protesting Levies and Khasadar personnel maintain that their boycott and demonstrations will continue until their demands are accepted and the government’s commitments are implemented.