Web Desk: A new white paper has raised concerns over security preparedness, drug trafficking, smuggling and governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing a sharp increase in terrorist attacks and police casualties during 2026.
The document, covering the past year, questions the provincial government’s security planning, recruitment, equipment procurement and implementation of decisions taken by senior security bodies.
The allegations and figures presented in the white paper represent the authors’ assessment and require independent verification.
According to the document, 122 police personnel were killed in the first six months of 2026, compared with 63 during the same period in 2025, representing a 93.7% increase.
The number of injured officers also more than doubled, rising to 175 from 84 over the same periods, an increase of 108.3%.
Meanwhile, the white paper recorded 680 terrorist attacks between January and September 2026, compared with 508 during the corresponding period of 2025, marking a 33.9% rise.
The authors said the figures raised questions about the province’s security strategy and institutional readiness.
The document highlighted an attack on the Counter-Terrorism Department and Special Branch offices in Kohat in September, arguing that the incident raised concerns about the protection of facilities responsible for combating terrorism.
It also examined funding allocated to the CTD. The provincial government approved 7.77 billion rupees for CTD equipment, while 7.05 billion rupees had reportedly been released by June 2026, leaving a gap of about 720 million rupees.
The white paper questioned how much of the released funding had translated into equipment reaching operational units and being put into use.
Staffing was another concern. A December 2025 report cited in the document showed that 3,113 personnel were serving against 3,844 sanctioned CTD positions, leaving about 19% of posts vacant.
By June 2026, the province had also not completed recruitment against 638 vacant field-operator positions, according to the white paper.
The document compared CTD resources across provinces and reported that KP had 17 bulletproof vehicles, compared with 76 in Punjab and 42 in Balochistan.
It also cited figures from December 2025 showing that the KP CTD had only nine M4 rifles against a requirement of 200, equivalent to 4.5% of the stated requirement.
Similarly, the department reportedly had 11 night-vision devices against a requirement of 35, covering about 31.4% of the identified need.
The concerns gained further attention in July 2026 after an injured police officer reportedly appealed for better weapons, prompting questions over whether frontline personnel were receiving appropriate equipment in time.
The white paper also examined the timing of high-level security coordination. It said the chief minister chaired the provincial Apex Committee’s first meeting 112 days after assuming office.
According to the document, attacks continued in Bannu, Tank, Hangu and Kohat despite commitments made through the forum.
The authors called for details on the implementation of Apex Committee decisions and measurable results from those measures.
The white paper also pointed to significant drug seizures during 2026.
Police operations between January and March reportedly resulted in the seizure of 5,695 kilograms of hashish, while authorities also recovered 847 kg of ice, 210 kg of heroin and 275 kg of opium during the first quarter.
In September alone, authorities in Peshawar reportedly seized a 960-kg consignment of drugs, highlighting the scale of trafficking through the provincial capital.
Authorities also raided two alleged synthetic-drug production facilities in Peshawar during September. The document said investigations into local suppliers and alleged financial backers would be important to determine how the networks operated.
The document further examined efforts to eliminate drug cultivation.
According to budget records cited in the white paper, the annual target for eradicating drug crops stood at 250 kanals. By April, action had been taken over 130 kanals.
The document said that during the first 10 months of the financial year, authorities had achieved 52% of the annual target, leaving nearly half of the planned area still to be addressed.
Smuggling was another major focus of the report.
A customs report from July 2026 reportedly showed that authorities seized smuggled goods and vehicles worth 1.163 billion rupees over a two-week period.
The white paper argued that seizures alone would not be sufficient and called for investigations into organisers, financial backers and distribution networks behind major consignments.
The document also raised concerns over a September 2026 provincial cabinet decision approving a draft aimed at expanding political powers over the police command.
The move, according to the white paper, raised questions about the professional independence of the police force and the potential impact of greater political involvement in policing decisions.
Taken together, the white paper highlights rising police casualties, increased terrorist attacks, vacancies in specialised security units, equipment shortages and continued drug and smuggling seizures.
Its authors called on the provincial government to provide clearer information about security spending, procurement, recruitment, operational preparedness and the results of measures announced by senior security forums.
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