Kalash protest against sacking of 102 Border police demanding for their reinstatement to save them from starvation
By: Gul Hamaad Farooqi
CHITRAL: As well as some 102 border police were compulsory retired from government service with effect from 3rd April 2013 as a result some 15 border police staff belonging to Kalash community also were badly affected by this decision of provincial government. Having unique culture of the world Kalash people attract world tourists but personally they facing very miserable life. An old lady from Kalash community at Birir village Dinar Bibi said that we have no source of income except employment in border police or civil forces. During visiting houses of these 15 affected Kalash staff of border police by this scribe their children were facing starvation and mostly get nothing to eat or to continue their education because of stopping salaries of their fathers. Their family members told this scribe that they were sacked by the provincial government but they were not informed timely by the then deputy commissioner of Chitral Rahmatullah Wazir to do something for their jobs. An affected sepoy Sher Azam showed some documents to this scribe that they were allowed by States and Frontier Regions ministry to draw police pay scale and other benefits on their transfer to federal government in the year of 1976 but they were still deprived from their genuine right.
Chiral is a large district of KPK by virtue of land consisting on 14850 square kilometers and these borders police protecting their borders belonging to backward areas of Pak Afghan Border areas having no other facilities except their monthly salary. Most of Kalash (Non Muslim minority) people depend upon border police employment and gain their livelihood. Subadar Nasrullah said that staff serving in police and other departments have the benefit to employee their sons on their quota but these 102 border police staff were not given any benefit to recruit their sons in border police as their substitute. Retired Havaldar Marik kalash said that we living in far flung and remote localities of Birir, Rumbor and Bumborate where there is no facilities no other source of income except keeping cattle and serving in border police and civil forces but were compulsory retired and our livelihood was snatched. Some old and women said that we facing great problems as well as our children also suffering from starvation and mostly eat dry bread without any other thing. They said that a few years back a Greek volunteer was kidnapped by Taliban who was supporting Kalash community and after that no European donor came back to the valley. Its means that our border needs more staff to be deployed to protect us from Afghan Taliban and invaders she added. They appeal to chief justice of Pakistan, Chief Election commission for reinstatement of these 102 sacked staff of Border police on humanitarian grounds so as to save them and their families from starvation.
G.H. Farooqi C/O Manager bank Islami Main branch Chitral phone No 0943-320737, 0943-316052, 0943-414418 , 03025989602, 03337069572, 03159698446, 03469002167
email: gulhamad@gmail.com