Pakistan forms new paramilitary force ahead of PTI protests

15 Jul 2025 20:44
15 Jul 2025 20:48

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Pakistan forms new paramilitary force ahead of PTI protests

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Pakistan has announced the formation of a new national paramilitary force, sparking concerns among opposition parties and human rights groups about the potential for political repression.

The new force will be called the Federal Constabulary and will be formed by restructuring an existing paramilitary unit currently operating along the northwestern border with Afghanistan, state minister for the Interior Talal Chaudhry said at a press conference in Faisalabad on Monday, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

According to a copy of the amended law cited by Dunya News TV, the Federal Constabulary will be tasked with internal security, riot control and counter-terrorism duties.

The announcement comes as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, prepares for nationwide protests on August 5, marking two years since his arrest.

Past protests since Khan’s arrest in August 2023 have at times turned violent and disrupted life in Islamabad for days.

"This will be a new force. This will be a stronger force. We need this force for internal security," Chaudhry said. He added that President Asif Ali Zardari had already approved amendments to the law to implement changes in the paramilitary structure.

Chaudhry said the Federal Constabulary will replace the Frontier Constabulary (FC), which previously recruited only from tribal areas in the northwestern province. He said training of the new force will align it with other national law enforcement agencies.

The force "should not be used as a gimmick to silence political opponents, as has been previously witnessed when the government applied such laws against a large number of the PTI leadership and supporters," Bukhari said.

Haris Khalique, secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, also expressed concern.

"We are alarmed by the changes being made to the security and law enforcement structure of the country without any debate in parliament," Khalique said.

News.Az