PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has ordered the immediate release of Rs5.5 billion to fulfil the provincial police’s needs, declaring it a significant step for the strengthening of the law-enforcement force.

He issued the orders while chairing a meeting regarding the police department’s affairs at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, according to an official statement issued here on Tuesday.

Chief secretary Shahab Ali Shah, inspector general of police Zulfiqar Hameed, additional chief secretary (home) Mohammad Abid Majeed, senior officials from the finance and police departments attended the meeting.

According to the statement, the participants agreed about the immediate release of Rs3 billion for the bulletproofing of police vehicles and the purchase of modern equipment.

Says maintaining law and order his govt’s top priority

They also decided to provide Rs1.3 billion to establish the Special Weapons and Tactics teams equipped with modern technology at the district level and protect secure police stations and checkposts.

Also, Rs500 million will be released for the remaining projects under the Annual Development Programme related to the construction of police stations and Rs720 million for the purchase of night vision goggles, sniper rifles and other equipment for the police.

The chief minister decided in principle to bring the salaries of police officers in the province in line with the salaries of Balochistan’s police officers and to match the salaries of police personnel with those of Punjab police officials.

Officials told other participants that the salaries of police officers in Balochistan were the highest among all provinces, while the salaries of police personnel in Punjab were higher than in any other province.

The chief minister said that maintaining law and order was the top priority of the provincial government.

He said that given the current security situation in the province, it was crucial to strengthen the police force in every possible way.

“Since day one, our government has been spending substantial resources to enhance police capabilities. Funds will continue to be provided to the police on a priority basis to meet their needs,” he said.

Mr Gandapur said that equipping the police to tackle present security challenges was of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on it.

He acknowledged the bravery and sacrifices of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police in the fight against terrorism and expressed pride in their performance.

The chief minister also declared that the provincial government won’t allow financial constraints to hinder the fulfillment of the police’s requirements.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2025