Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s police force is understaffed by 10,587 personnel, and its Counter-Terrorism Department is missing another 638 officers, according to a security briefing held at the Governor House in Peshawar. The briefing set out major weaknesses in the province’s law enforcement and proposed a Rs70 billion plan to strengthen the police and counter-terrorism infrastructure.
The session was attended by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and other officials. It also flagged a 36 per cent gap in operational vehicles for the provincial police, and said only 12 per cent of personnel have access to anti-drone systems. The figures, officials indicated, highlight the difficulties facing a province that is still dealing with a renewed wave of militant violence.
Casualties and staffing gaps across the province
Officials told the briefing that 1,003 security personnel, including 627 police officers, were killed between 2024 and September 2026. A further 808 civilians died over the same period. Within 2026 alone, up to September, the briefing recorded 255 military personnel, 302 police officers and 304 civilians killed.
Also read: KP Police seeks Rs 40 billion from Islamabad for upgrades
Despite shortages and hard operating conditions, security forces had killed 3,788 terrorists over the past three years, officials said. The briefing was delivered by Home Adviser Kifayatullah Khan and Home Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, who assessed the province’s security needs and proposed measures under the Strong Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plan.
Rs70bn budget aims to close equipment and manpower gaps
Under the proposal, the provincial government wants to allocate Rs70 billion for security. Of that, Rs59.8 billion would go to the police and Rs10.3 billion to the CTD. The briefing said Rs98 billion had been spent on security over the past decade, and noted that the previous provincial government had directed only 3.2 per cent of the total security budget to the merged tribal districts.
Officials also said Rs6.4 billion had been approved to restore counter-terrorism infrastructure, but only Rs1 billion had so far been released. The plan targets several shortfalls, with the government aiming to:
- cut the police personnel shortfall from 15 per cent to five per cent
- raise the force’s fortification capacity from 75 per cent
- lift surveillance capability from 15 per cent to 60 per cent
- increase night-fighting capability from 18 per cent to 50 per cent
- expand anti-drone capacity from one per cent to 50 per cent
- raise the CTD’s share of armoured vehicles from 16 per cent to 70 per cent
- boost the availability of communication jammers from three per cent to 50 per cent
The briefing also said 15,186 Khasadar personnel had been merged into the provincial police, with most of them described as illiterate. That, it said, makes further training and capacity-building necessary. The province plans to extend CTD jurisdiction to all 34 districts, set up district nerve centres in 10 districts and create a Safe Cities Authority.
Smart desks, faceless courts and community policing
The reforms include smart front desks at 406 police stations in major cities. The briefing also proposed using artificial intelligence tools to counter what officials called false narratives on social media. Officials said these steps would help the police respond more effectively to public concerns.
To speed up terrorism trials while protecting witnesses, the briefing proposed faceless courts. At community level, the plan calls for strengthening Dispute Resolution Councils, forming tribal liaison committees, and holding monthly open forums and regular jirgas in every district. The government is also considering higher compensation for families of security personnel killed on duty, along with bigger security challenge allowances to lift morale.
Governor Kundi pledges full political ownership of security
Addressing the briefing, Governor Kundi said restoring peace and security was the government’s top priority. He said the province could not allow its police to keep operating with limited weapons and resources. He added that the provincial government had asked the federal government for Rs160 billion for security, and that the demand had received federal backing.
Kundi said meetings on security and development had also been held in Islamabad to ensure coordination. He said a major apex committee meeting in Peshawar, attended by the prime minister and senior officials, was one of the largest of its kind in the country’s history. “We cannot leave the police at the mercy of limited weapons,” he said, adding that the government had decided to equip the force with modern weapons and ammunition and to improve police pay and compensation.
The governor expressed concern about the lack of police lines in the merged districts, and said past failures to support security forces had been a serious weakness. “Full political responsibility for security will now be taken,” he said. He stressed that intelligence-based operations were essential to restoring peace and eliminating terrorism, and said the province’s security policy would be decided in Islamabad rather than in Jalalabad, Kandahar or Kabul.
Kundi also alleged that Afghan territory was being used to facilitate Indian activities against Pakistan, and criticised Afghan authorities for staying silent over statements about taking control of Peshawar and reports of drones arriving. He said the government would not negotiate with those who rejected the state, the Constitution and the law and took up arms against it. “Terrorists will be responded to in their own language. A zero-tolerance policy is in place,” he said.
He added that the government would adopt security and development measures already used in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. Roads, bridges and other development projects, he said, would only be useful if people’s lives were secure. Restoring public confidence and improving ties between citizens and the police could help win half the battle against terrorism, he added, and he called for engaging young people in positive activities. “There is no option of defeat or retreat in this war,” Kundi said.
