Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Plans Rs70 Billion Security Allocation at Governor House Briefing

Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has set a target of allocating Rs70 billion for security under the “Strong Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” project. The details were shared at a special briefing on the security situation at Governor House Peshawar, attended by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, provincial advisers, senior civil and police officials, and media representatives.

Adviser on Home and Tribal Affairs Kifayatullah Khan and Home Secretary Amjad Ali Khan briefed attendees on current challenges and future strategy. Inspector General of Police Abbas Ahsan also took part in the question-and-answer session.

According to the briefing, during the tenure of the previous provincial government, only 3.2 per cent of the security budget went to the merged districts. The police are short 10,587 personnel, and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) is short 638 officers. The police have a 36 per cent shortfall in operational vehicles, and only 12 per cent of personnel have access to anti-drone systems. Of the Rs6.4 billion approved for restoring the counter-terrorism structure, only Rs1 billion has been released so far.

The briefing said that from 2024 to September 2026, 1,003 soldiers, 627 police personnel and 808 civilians were martyred. In the first nine months of 2026, 255 soldiers, 302 police personnel and 304 civilians lost their lives. Security forces killed 3,788 terrorists over three years.

Of the proposed Rs70 billion, Rs59.8 billion will go to the police and Rs10.3 billion to the CTD. Within the police share, Rs33.4 billion will be spent on infrastructure and Rs26.4 billion on procurement. Within the CTD share, Rs5.4 billion will go on infrastructure and Rs4.9 billion on procurement. Over the past ten years, a total of Rs98 billion was spent on security.

The plan’s targets include raising surveillance capability from 15 to 60 per cent, night-fighting capability from 18 to 50 per cent, and police anti-drone capability from one to 50 per cent. CTD vehicle armouring will rise from 16 to 70 per cent, and jammer availability from three to 50 per cent. The CTD’s jurisdiction will be extended to all 34 districts of the province. The target is to reduce the police personnel shortfall from 15 per cent to five per cent.

District Nerve Centres and a Safe City Authority will be established in ten districts, while smart front desks will be set up in 406 police stations in major cities. Faceless courts are proposed to protect witnesses in terrorism cases. The plan also includes strengthening dispute resolution councils, forming tribal liaison committees, holding monthly open courts, and convening jirgas in all districts. A proposal was also made to increase the martyrs’ package and the security challenge allowance.