Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Unveils a Rs70 Billion Security Plan With Faceless Anti-Terror Courts

Authorities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have proposed a security overhaul costing Rs70 billion a year, about $253 million, including faceless anti-terrorism courts, according to Dawn and Arab News. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa security plan was unveiled as the province remains under governor’s rule and a state of emergency imposed on Oct. 11.

The plan, branded “Strong Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” would give the provincial police Rs59.8 billion and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Rs10.3 billion, according to the provincial information department as quoted by Pakistan Today. Under the faceless court proposal, terrorism cases could proceed without disclosing the identities of judges, witnesses and others involved. Home Secretary Amjad Ali Khan said witnesses were reluctant to come forward because of security concerns. The plan was presented at a briefing attended by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, hours after a policeman was killed in a militant attack in Tank district.

What the plan would buy

The proposal sets specific capability targets. Surveillance capacity would rise from 15% to 60% and night-fighting capability from 18% to 50%. Police anti-drone capability would go from 1% to 50%, and the use of jammers from 3% to 50%. The armoring of CTD vehicles would rise from 16% to 70%, and police fortification would reach 75%. The CTD would expand its operations to 34 districts, “smart front desks” would be set up at 406 police stations in major cities, and district nerve centers and a Safe Cities Authority would be created in 10 districts. Officials also aim to cut police attrition from 15% to 5% and to use AI tools against what they called false narratives on social media.

The anti-drone target is the steepest jump. By The Boston Report’s calculation, going from 1% to 50% means a fiftyfold increase, and the jammer target is nearly seventeen times the current level. Both reflect militants’ use of drones in attacks on security forces.

The human toll, as stated by officials

The briefing included casualty figures. As stated by KP officials, from 2024 to September 2026, 1,003 armed forces personnel, 627 police officers and 808 civilians were killed. In 2026 alone, through September, the figures were 255 soldiers, 302 police and 304 civilians. Officials said security forces killed 3,788 militants over the past three years. These figures could not be independently verified.

By The Boston Report’s calculation from the officials’ figures, 2,438 security personnel and civilians died over the period, and 861 of them in the first nine months of 2026. Police made up 35% of this year’s security and civilian deaths, compared with 26% over the full period, which suggests militants have increasingly focused on the provincial force. Officials also said the police are short 10,587 personnel and the CTD 638.

Politics and the border

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, leader of the governing PML-N, backed the measures after a briefing by his brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Dawn reported. The federal government imposed the emergency and governor’s rule last month, citing what it called the PTI-led provincial government’s lack of seriousness on terrorism and governance, according to Pakistan Today.

The security push comes against the backdrop of tense relations with Afghanistan, including a border closure that has lasted a year. Islamabad accuses the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups of using Afghan territory to plan attacks, an allegation Kabul denies. Pakistan’s army has also been drilling with China, as in the Karakoram 2026 joint exercise.

What to watch

Faceless courts require legislation and have raised fair-trial concerns elsewhere, so the legal design will draw scrutiny. Funding is also uncertain given Pakistan’s fiscal limits. The real test will be whether anti-drone gear and armored vehicles reach police stations on the front line, and whether the attrition target can be met. For broader conflict coverage, see our war news page.

Sources

• Dawn: PM briefs Nawaz on KP after new security plan unveiled
• Arab News Pakistan: Pakistan weighs faceless courts, over $250 million to boost security in northwest
• Pakistan Today: KP unveils Rs70bn security boost, proposes faceless courts to bolster anti-terror fight