The conflict between Excise Department and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police has intensified as excise officials stop checking drug tariffing in protest, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Tuesday. 

A large number of officials of the KP Excise and Narcotics Control Department Monday continued their protest against police behavior. 

On Sunday, four officers of the excise department were arrested by Chamkani police station on charges of corruption. Later, they were freed but the excise department demanded the suspension of the police officials involved in arresting them without any case.  

Provincial Excise Minister Manzoor Afridi also tried his level best to calm the excise staff but they refused to surrender. 

The minister said that KP police humiliated not only four officers of the department but also it disgraced the entire department. 

Various teams of the Excise and Narcotics Control Department boycotted checking against drugs despite the minister’s assurance. 

KP Chief Minister took notice of the matter and asked for a report from IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The sources said that the police ordered to monitor the excise staff. The excise staff termed this order a very shameful act. 

Director General (DG) Excise said that the excise department has more drug operations than the police. 

“I will issue an order in which all the excise officials will blockade wherever they want in the province,” DG Excise added. 

The excise persons alleged that SHO Chamkani is involved with drug smugglers. 

“If the SHO is not suspended within two days, our protest will be widespread, they added. 

In the past too, the two departments have clashed about their areas of jurisdiction. The officials from the two agencies frequently argued and even filed complaints against one another in the past.