ISLAMABAD, 23 Sep (TNS): In an attempt to give policing powers to the Levies force the federal government has extended Police Act 1861 to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
President Mamnoon Hussain has approved the implementation order of the said act which will allow the region to adopt the policing power and judicial structure along the lines of Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
The imposition will empower the political agent with judicial powers. The changes dictate judicial role for the political agent, subordinate offices as well as nomenclature changes in the office of the Levies forces that substitute the Police Act to be implemented in the villages but with changes in the context of FATA.
The term ‘Inspector General of Police’ under the Police Act 1861 has been replaced with the ‘Commandant of the Federal Levies Force’.
The term ‘court’ as defined under the amended act would now mean the ‘court of assistant political agent Landi Kotal’, and ‘special court under the high court’.
‘Tehsil Landikotal’ includes Torkham, Khyber Agency bounded by the village Bacha Mela, Torkham Gate, Shamshad Hill Top watershed and Ayub FC Picket Kabalo Mela.
The political agent of the appropriate jurisdiction will now hold the powers of a session judge, magistrate, magistrate of first class district magistrate while the APA will be a judicial magistrate.
An official notification of the changes is expected to be issued today, the sources said.
