MINGORA: Local MPA Fazal Hakeem Khan on Friday said the chief minister had assured him of twoyear extension in the service of special police force.

The services of the said policemen had expired on Dec 31, 2013.

Mr Fazal Hakeem, who is also the chairman of the District Development Advisory Committee, told Dawn here that he had taken up the matter with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, who had promised two-year extension in the services of the special police force`s personnel.

He said the chief minister had also assured him that the salary of the policemen in question would be increased appropriately.

After the government`s writ was restored in Malakand in 2009, the special police force was raised to help regular police and other law enforcement agencies maintain law and order situation in the division.

Thereafter, 7,325 people were appointed constables in the force at the division level with most of them, over 3,000, posted in Swat district. They draw Rs10,000 salary every month.However, most personnel are unsatisfied with the `meagre` amount of salary.

A cop in Swat said the personnel of the force had long been helping police and other law enforcement agencies protect public life and property and check violation of law but the monthly salary paid to them was too little in view of high inflation.He demanded increase in salary in proportion to inflation.

Saltanat Khan, an official of the special police force, complained that there had been no increase in salary since his appointment in 2009.

He said as head of ninemember family, he was struggling to make ends meet due to very low salary.

`Pye rented a house for Rs5,000 a month and have no other source of income, so you can well understand what kind of a life we will be leading,` he said. Also, Rehmat Ali, another official of the force, complained about low salary and said the government should increase the salary appropriately.