Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has unveiled a Rs70 billion security initiative, including a proposal to set up “faceless” anti-terrorism courts, as part of a new strategy to counter militancy in the province.
Under the “Strong Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” initiative, Rs59.8 billion has been earmarked for the police and Rs10.3 billion for the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). Of the police allocation, Rs33.4 billion is for infrastructure and Rs26.4 billion for equipment, while the CTD’s share covers Rs5.4 billion for infrastructure and Rs4.9 billion for equipment and other operational needs. The plan aims to raise police fortification capacity to 75 per cent, improve surveillance capability from 15 to 60 per cent and lift night-fighting capacity from 18 to 50 per cent. The CTD’s operational reach is to be extended to all 34 districts of the province.
The faceless courts proposal was presented at a security briefing at the Governor House in Peshawar on Sunday, attended by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, provincial advisers, senior civil and police officers and media representatives. Home Secretary Amjad Ali Khan said the identities of judges, witnesses, prosecutors and police personnel in terrorism cases would remain confidential to protect them from militant threats. “So, we have recently sent the amendment to set up faceless anti-terrorism courts. Through this, not just the protection of witnesses, but that of prosecutors and judges will also be ensured,” he said, adding that witnesses were reluctant to come forward because of security concerns.
The home secretary said only 3.2 per cent of the budget was allocated for security in the merged districts, calling it insufficient for the police and the CTD. The announcement came hours after a policeman was killed in a militant attack in the province’s Tank district.
The measures follow the federal government’s decision to impose emergency and governor’s rule in the province on 11 October, citing the previous provincial administration’s disengagement from the fight against terrorism. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif briefed his brother, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, on the law and order situation in the province during a meeting at Jati Umra in Lahore. According to Dawn, the elder Sharif backed the emergency set-up and said the intervention should have come much earlier.
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