Faisalabad:
The Minister of State of the Interior and the leader of PMLN senior, Senator Talal Chaudhary, has said that the Border Police (FC) is being restructured and renowned the Federal Police only to reinforce the internal and national security of Pakistan.
He was aimed at a press conference at the office of the attached commissioner on Monday. The commander of FC Riaz Nazir Gara was also present.
The Minister’s statement occurred one day after President Asif Ali Zardari promulgated an ordinance that empowers the federal government to transform the FC, a border security force, to the Federal Police to maintain the law and order, complement the agencies of application of the law and address the diverse security needs in a coordinated manner.
“This will be a new force. This will be a stronger force.
We need this force for internal security, “said Chaudhry, added that the president had already approved amendments to the law that introduced changes in paramilitary force.
The decision to renew the FC causes concern between opposition parties and human rights groups that could be used as a political repression tool.
However, the minister said that the renewal of FC is not a politically motivated decision, but it is an institutional need to improve coordination, compensation and the ability of this force in all the provinces and territories of Pakistan.
It is purely a issue related to defense to strengthen national defense by providing support to the agencies for the application of the law, he added.
He said that the FC had played a fundamental role in the maintenance of peace and security within the country and throughout its borders for almost a century, however, this force has not been granted recognition and benefits comparable to other security forces in Pakistan.
He lamented that despite limited wages and less privileges, FC staff has constantly served the nation with unwavering dedication.
“Now Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, have decided to transform the FC into a federal force to address the disparity with the structure and scope improved under the new name of the Federal Police,” he added.
He clarified that while the name, identity and central function of the FC is changed as a police remain intact. Restructuring would help ensure that your staff receives wages, training and benefits equal to those of other national security forces, he added.
He said that the FC has a long participation in the fight against drug trafficking, smuggling and support for civil law agencies during delicate events such as Muharram, elections and antipolium campaigns. Now he would continue to carry out these responsibilities under his new federal framework, he added.
He said that with the reorganization, the jurisdiction of the Federal Police would be expanded to include the four provinces, as well as Gilgit/Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Cashmira.
He said that the recruitment will open to all citizens throughout the country and that the Federal Government would support all operational and financial responsibilities, relieving the provinces of any budget burden.
The renewal of the FC would include updated training modules, capacity construction initiatives and a modernized command structure designed to raise the morals and effectiveness of its staff, he added.
The commander of the FC Riaz Nazir Gara provided a historical context and said that the FC was established in 1913, originally known as the Northwest Police of the border. It was operated under an act that is now more than 100 years old.
Recognizing the urgent need for reform, he said that the FC would restart in a more robust institution and administered by the federal government with clearly defined command levels that include balls, companies and wings.
He said that the FC has 41 wings and that its 36 wings are implemented under the security division. The renewed structure would optimize these units to improve efficiency, he added.
Commander Gara revealed that 423 FC personnel have established their lives in the duty of duty, which is a testimony of the commitment and sacrifice of this force.
Reorganization would help honor these sacrifices by providing a better command structure, improved facilities and clearer professional career for FC members, he added.
The Minister of State and the commander of the FC urged the public, the media and the interested parties to carefully read the new ordinance related to the Federal Police to avoid erroneous concepts.
This transformation is a strategic and institutional reform that would help address internal security challenges and improve the operational capacity of one of the oldest law agencies in the country, they added.
Meanwhile, development caused concern between opposition parties and human rights groups that could be used as a political repression tool.
The announcement occurred after the PTI said that it would organize protests throughout the country as of August 5, the second anniversary of the arrest of the founder of the Imran Khan party. Several protests since their arrest in August 2023 have become violent, in some cases paralyzing the Islamabad capital for days.
PTI leader Zulfikar Bukhari said the changes should be subject to parliamentary discussion.
The new force “should not be used as a trick to silence political opponents, as previously witnessed when the government applied such laws against leadership and supporters of PTI,” he said.
His concern was bewitched by Haris Khalique, secretary of the Pakistan Human Rights Commission.
“We are alarmed by the changes made to the security and application structure of the country’s law without any debate in Parliament,” Khalique said.
