Staff Reporter
The Balochistan High Court has set aside the order of home and tribal affairs department empowering Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars for registration of FIRs in levies administered areas of the province.
Chief Justice BHC, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail in judgment has ordered the additional chief secretary home and tribal affairs department and director-general levies Balochistan to take immediate steps for designating and posting qualified levies officers as in-charge of the Levies Station in B areas for registration of FIRs.
A complainant, Shah Muhammad had challenged the notification of the home and tribal affairs department for empowering the Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars for registration of FIRs in levies administered areas of Balochistan.
The petitioner through a counsel mentioned that since Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars have no experience of dealing with crimes rather they have the only experience of revenue matters. Therefore, investigation officers or levies officers should be empowered to register FIRs in B areas of Balochistan.
The Balochistan government should take all necessary steps to make sure presence of investigation officers at all levies stations to make sure proper registration of FIRs, CJ BHC, Justice Jamal Mandokhail ordered.
As far as the deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners are concerned, they have all the power of administrative control and supervision of levies force as per the constitution and law.
During former president Pervez Musharraf government, levies areas were turned into the police areas. However, former chief minister Balochistan, Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani government reversed the decisions while restoring B areas.
In the past, investigation officers were recruited in levies force to improve levies system, investigation and registration of FIRs in rural Balochistan.