Pakistan to create new paramilitary forces before Imran Khan’s party protests

Islamabad: Pakistan said on Monday that it is creating a national paramilitary force, facing concern between opposition parties and human rights groups that it can be used as a political suppression tool. The step converts an existing paramilitary force posted on the north -western border of Pakistan with Afghanistan into a national security force, called the federal constable, the Minister of State for Internal Talal Chaudhary said at a press conference in East City Fislabad. According to a copy of the revised law reported by the local Dunya News TV, its new duties will include internal security, riot control and anti-terrorism. Former jail-jailed PM Imran Khan was announced after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party that it would stage a nationwide protest starting on August 5, which is the second anniversary of his arrest. Many such protests have become violent since the arrest of August 2023, in some cases the capital Islamabad was paralyzed for days. Chaudhary said, “It will be a new strength. It will be a strong force. We need this force for internal security.” The new force replaces the Frontier Constable (FC), whose cadre was already admitted to tribes in North -West province, Chaudhary said. He said that training of new force will bring it to other national law enforcement agencies. Khan’s party spokesman Zulfikar Bukhari said that change should be subject to parliamentary discussion. The new force “should not be used as a gimmick to silence political opponents, as the government implemented such laws against PTI leadership and supporters in a large number of first,” he said. His concern was echoed by Haris Khalik, an independent body, Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission Secretary. “We are concerned about the changes being made in the security and law enforcement structure of the country without any debate in Parliament,” Khalik said. Roots