LANDI KOTAL, Dec 24: The administration of Khyber Agency has refused to reinstate on legal grounds more than 70 Levies personnel, who had resigned en bloc along with hundreds of khasadars in September 2009 after receiving threats from militants.

The administration on November 18 announced reinstatement of over 500 khasadars after persistent appeals and requests by the local elders and members of the parliament.

All the khasadars and Levies personnel were sacked by the administration three days after their resignation en bloc.

Sources at the Khyber House, office of political agent, said that 277 sacked khasadars joined their official duty so far. They were sent to Levies centre in Shahkas area of Jamrud, they added.

“We are still awaiting nearly 200 khasadars to join their duty. We have also reports that about 12 to 15 of the sacked khasadars have died during their suspension,” sources said, adding that the administration decided to recruit sons, brothers or other near relatives of the deceased khasadars.

However, officials refused to reinstate 72 Levies personnel on legal grounds. They said that Levies was a permanent force and its personnel could not be reinstated if they resigned or were removed from service on disciplinary grounds.

They said that the administration had already recruited 90 fresh Levies personnel from Bara to fill the vacant posts after the resignation en bloc three years ago.

“We recruited 50 Levies men from Akkakhel tribe and 40 from Zakhakhel tribe as the government wanted to appease the two tribes for their assistance and cooperation in combating terrorism in their respective areas,” said an official, dealing with the affairs of Khasadar and Levies forces.

He said that as a matter of principal and in accordance with the rules set for the newly raised Levies Force, anyone who either resigned or was removed on disciplinary grounds could not be reinstated.

“The Levies is a permanent and pension-able force and can’t be compared with Khasadar Force in any way,” the official said.

“Recruiting and sacking a khasadar is a prerogative of the political agent. The khasadars were reinstated only after Bara elders and parliamentarians gave a firm assurance about their good conduct and their allegiance to the state,” he said.

However, the sacked Levies men claimed that they were sent messages by the administration after the announcement of reinstatement that they should immediately renew their oath and report to the office of assistant political agent in Bara.

Some of the sacked Levies men, requesting not to be named, told Dawn that at least four of their colleagues from Akkakhel tribe were reinstated after the local administration asked the elders of the tribe to form a peace committee in their area. “All the four have been posted now at different checkposts in Akkakhel area,” they claimed.

They said that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reinstated all those policemen in Swat who had relinquished their duties before the start of military operation in the district.

“The government should give preference to Levies Force in Fata owing to the prevailing law and order situation and the threats posed by various militant groups,” they said.

They appealed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor, inspector general of Frontier Corps, Khyber Agency political administration and Fata parliamentarians to help them in getting back their jobs.