4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PTI assails govt for turning FC into nationwide federal force
ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, on Tuesday tore into the federal government's decision to turn the Frontier Constabulary (FC) into a national federal force – slamming it as a power grab that tramples provincial rights and echoes the strong-arm tactics of past dictators.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said the restructuring of the FC into a 'Federal Constabulary' was part of a broader attempt by what he described as the 'installed hybrid regime' to undermine Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Ayub said the conversion would 'bury the 18th Amendment for good,' referring to the landmark 2010 constitutional reform that devolved significant powers to the provinces.
He likened the move to former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's creation of the Federal Security Force (FSF) in the 1970s, calling it an 'instrument of terror' used to suppress political opposition and control provinces.
'This hybrid regime is launching the renamed Federal Constabulary to target KP,' Ayub said. 'It wants to keep KP in check because there is a PTI government there and to trample upon provincial rights.'
The government move follows the promulgation of the Frontier Constabulary (Reorganization) Ordinance, 2025, by President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday.
Under the new law, the FC will be re-branded as the Federal Constabulary, with a broader mandate to maintain law and order and coordinate security operations across the country.
The timing of the ordinance has raised eyebrows, coming weeks before the PTI's planned nationwide protests on August 5. Critics say the measure infringes on provincial autonomy and sidesteps parliamentary oversight.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat), said the government bypassed due process.
'If it had gone through the usual legislative process, the bill would have been discussed in a standing committee. This approach shows the government was avoiding opposition input,' he said.
Legal experts, however, said it was too early to assess the full legal impact of the ordinance, as the complete text has not yet been made public.
A senior KP police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the FC – established in 1913 through the merger of the Border Police and Samana Rifles – has long served as a culturally embedded force, with personnel drawn from over 30 tribes and sub-tribes native to the region.
He warned that restructuring the FC under centralised federal control risks eroding its effectiveness and local legitimacy. 'This could weaken the force's historic role as a community-rooted institution tailored to the region's unique security dynamics,' he said.
He also raised concerns about political motives behind the move, suggesting it reflects an effort by Punjab-based civil and military leadership to consolidate power over regional institutions.
'The Frontier Constabulary is more than a paramilitary force – it is a symbol of regional identity and trust,' he said. 'Its legacy must be preserved, not sacrificed for political expediency.'
He called for a public debate, particularly involving representatives from KP and the former tribal districts, urging the government to reconsider implementing changes that could alter the FC's historic mandate.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
