The Pakistani government has announced the formation of a new military force. Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, said that the newly established force has been named the ‘Federal Constabulary’. He added that this force comprises soldiers from the National Security Force currently operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. Chaudhry stated that the main responsibility of the new force is to ensure internal security and safety, work against terrorism, and to disperse and prevent anti-government activities such as protests. “This is an entirely new force. It’s a very powerful force. This is a force essential for ensuring internal security and safety,” Chaudhry said. He also revealed that President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the necessary legal amendments for the creation of this force.
Following his statement, opposition political parties in Pakistan and human rights organizations have expressed concern. They have described this as a new force created to use power to suppress voices against the government. The Pakistani government’s disclosure of the formation of this new military force comes at a time when former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is planning to hold large protests in various parts of the country. PTI said these ared these are protests to mark two years since Khan’s arrest. The protests are scheduled to begin on August 5th.
Last year, PTI also organized large protests in major cities of Pakistan. Some of these protests turned into unrest, leading to confrontations between protesters and security forces. It’s worth noting that protests in August 2023 brought the capital, Islamabad, to a standstill. With the formation of the new force named Federal Constabulary, PTI has expressed dissatisfaction. The party’s spokesperson, Zulfikar Bukhari, said that PTI will present this issue to the Pakistani parliament. “This new force should not be used as a tactic to silence political opposition; the government has previously acted in this manner against PTI leaders,” he said.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has also expressed concern about the new military force. “We are deeply concerned about major changes being made to the security and law enforcement system without any participation or consultation from the legislature,” said the commission’s secretary, Haris Khaliq.
