Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police face budget increases and legislative disputes

A political dispute has emerged in Pakistan regarding the governance and funding of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi stated that the police must remain focused on their primary duty of fighting terrorism and protecting citizens rather than being embroiled in political conflicts. To support these efforts, the provincial government has significantly increased the police budget from 80 billion to 190 billion rupees this fiscal year, following an additional 35 billion rupee allocation last year. Afridi also called for the urgent provision of armored vehicles, jammers, and drone defense systems, noting delays in equipment delivery despite payments made to Heavy Industries Taxila.

Simultaneously, the federal government has raised objections to the proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Act 2026. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry criticized the draft legislation, arguing it conflicts with the Constitution and the Pakistan Police Service (PS) rules. Chaudhry expressed concern that the proposed changes to the administrative structure—which would grant the Chief Minister authority over various scales of appointments and the Police Policy Board—would undermine the command and control structure of a force currently engaged in high-risk counter-terrorism operations.