Khyber police threaten security boycott of polio teams

Police in Khyber have threatened to boycott polio security efforts and abandon wearing their uniforms if the provincial government fails to establish a comprehensive service structure for them. The protesting officers have set up a protest camp at the historic Bab-e-Khyber in Jamrud, where officers from other merged districts also participate.

Despite becoming regular police after the merger of Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018, the tribal police claim they have yet to receive a service structure. They express a sense of deprivation and alienation while performing their duties in challenging conditions. The former Inspector General of Police had promised them to implement their 22-point charter of demands, including an acceptable service structure, promotions, pensions, and other perks.

If these demands are not met, the protesting police threaten to stop providing security to polio vaccination teams, stop wearing their uniforms, and even lock the offices of Deputy Provincial Officers in all seven merged districts. The protest is led by senior policemen who are nearing retirement by the end of 2026.