KP plans to set up faceless ATCs, spend Rs70bn on CTD and police in a year as part of initiatives against terrorism

The administrative setup in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is planning to establish faceless anti-terrorism courts and invest Rs70 billion in the Counter-Terrorism Department and police within the coming year, as part of their aggressive initiatives against terrorism, officials announced on Sunday. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi was among those present at the briefing.

One major concern highlighted was the fear of witnesses in terrorism cases coming forward. In response, the government has recently submitted an amendment to set up faceless anti-terrorism courts, intending to protect not only witnesses but also prosecutors and judges.

Moreover, the KP administration plans to allocate Rs70 billion for the Counter-Terrorism Department and police force throughout the year to bolster their operational capacity. The speaker pointed out that despite past sacrifices by the province's armed forces and law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism, the government had not taken sufficient ownership of their efforts.

Governor Kundi emphasized the importance of a closer liaison between the public, political leadership, and security forces regarding terrorism. He also criticized the discrepancies between national policy and local actions, which he claimed led to confusion among the populace.

Furthermore, the speaker revealed that the security budget for civil law enforcement agencies, including the police and CTD, is notably low at just 3.2 percent. The speaker also pointed out a severe shortage of over 10,000 police personnel and inadequate security infrastructure. He also revealed that most police personnel in the merged districts rely on former ex-Fata Khasadaars and Levies, and that many police officers lack proper training. The speaker highlighted inadequate counter-drone protection, which currently stands at only 12%.