Levies Force Balochistan
Editorial :
No sane person can support and defend recent acts committed by Levies Force in Balochistan’s Mastung and Killa Abdullah districts. The videos that went viral on social media provide ample support to a narrative that the force lacks professional capacity and is subservient to tribal chieftains.
The videos appeared to be a major setback for the political forces defending the force from villages to parliament. The first video, where levies men were opening fire on a donkey and then filming, caused an outrage on social media platforms. The incident happened in Balochistan’s Mastung district.
People condemned the filming and killing of an animal in such a brutal way. The video prompted deputy commissioner Mastung, Mehbood Achakzai to suspend two levies officials for the act.
The force was yet to recover from the damage of killing and filming a donkey when another video of the levies men torturing and humiliating a person went viral. The Levies personnel put a chain around the neck of the person for what they claim shouting at them at the Garang Checkpost near Chaman, Pakistan’s bordering city with Afghanistan.
In the video, levies men ask the man to shout as revenge. A hot debate started on social media with people strongly condemning the force. The outrage and condemnation prompted the acting deputy commissioner Killa Abdullah, Zakaullah Durrani to suspend 10 levies officials for the act.
Levies administratively control 90 percent area of Balochistan
The force introduced and established by the British rulers has been functioning in Balochistan for last more than a century. Levies force administratively controls over 90 percent area of the province that covers half of the country. Police have almost administrative control over 10 percent area in Balochistan.
Levies predominantly consist of local officers and personnel who belong to indigenous tribes in all districts of the province. Levies are well aware of local customs, norms, values, and have knowledge of the geography of every area. A major reason behind the establishment of this force by English rulers was to maintain the law and order situation through indigenous people.
To be precise, people also undermine the force. However, the way levies recently behaved with the young man in Chaman cannot be endorsed and justified. This also exposes the quality of training and capacity of the force.
Levies force needs to be trained and equipped to maintain the law and order situation in Balochistan as promised by the government. In addition to this, Levies officers and jawans need to be taught about the growing impacts of social media and the revolution of information technology.
Gone are the days, when such incidents would go unnoticed. Now the technology has empowered every individual to express his/ her opinion through a smartphone and report such inhuman acts. The force should be trained in line with the requirement of the modern era.
Levies Force Balochistan
