Quetta, Oct 22 (NationPress) - In a recent demonstration, security personnel in Pakistan's Kalat protested against the Balochistan government's decision to merge the Levies Force with the police department, according to local media reports.

The Levies personnel organized protests throughout Balochistan following a government notification announcing the merger. In Kalat, members of the Levies Force initiated a rally that started at the Levies Headquarters and traversed key areas such as Shahi Bazaar, Hospital Road, Harboi Road, and Darbar Road before returning to their base, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

Demonstrators raised placards opposing the integration and chanted slogans against the merger of the Levies Force with the police.

During the protest, Levies officers and personnel highlighted that the Levies Force has a rich history spanning 142 years and has been crucial in maintaining law and order in Balochistan, with numerous members sacrificing their lives in the line of duty.

They pointed out that a previous attempt to merge the forces had failed and cautioned that repeating this action would not succeed. The speakers urged the Balochistan government to adhere to the High Court's stay order on the merger and to retract the recent notification.

According to an official notification dated October 16, the Balochistan government, with approval from the provincial cabinet, proceeded to merge the provincial and federal levies forces with the police in six out of seven administrative divisions of the province, designating these divisions as A-Areas, as reported by Dawn.

The six divisions where the merger has been authorized include Quetta, Rakhshan, Kalat, Makran, Zhob, and Nasirabad. However, the Levies Force in the Sibi division, which encompasses Sibi, Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Harnai, and Ziarat districts, remains unmerged with the Balochistan police.

The notification also stated that the Balochistan Home Department has categorized the entire revenue limits of Makran, Rakhshan, Nasirabad, Quetta, and Kalat Divisions as A-Areas, effective immediately for the Balochistan police's territorial jurisdiction.

Furthermore, it mentioned that all members of the Levies Force—both provincial and ex-federal levies—operating in the aforementioned areas, including those from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Wing, are now merged into the Balochistan police.