PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday said restoring public confidence in the police was essential for sustainable peace.

“You should adopt an open-door policy, resolve public issues on a priority basis and strengthen coordination between the force and local communities,” the governor told police officers during a meeting at the Governor House here, according to an official statement.

Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, Additional IGP Kashif Alam, CCPO Dr Mian Saeed and regional police officers attended the meeting, while district police officers participated via video link.

The governor commended the sacrifices made by the provincial police to maintain peace and said that the force was fighting terrorism on the frontline.

He said that there would be no compromise on peace and no room for negligence in the decisive fight against terrorism.

Mr Kundi said that he had first announced an increase in the Shuhada Package for the families of martyred police officials and was working to establish a cadet college for their children.

He directed police officers to remain in constant contact with the martyrs’ families and ensure their welfare.

The governor said that every martyr would be considered one of their own and that the families should be made to feel that the government and the state stood by them in every difficult situation.

He added that special cards would be introduced for the families to help them resolve their issues at government offices with dignity and priority.

Mr Kundi said that work was under way on the Safe Cities projects in the province and that the initiative would be extended to the merged tribal districts.

He said that steps were being taken to improve police stations, checkposts, facilities and infrastructure in the tribal districts, while armoured personnel carriers, modern weapons and other necessary equipment were being provided to the police.

The governor also said that development funds would be used to meet the provincial police’s requirements and that the federal government had already provided 10 APCs to the force.

He directed police authorities to take immediate steps to fill vacancies to address staff shortages and enhance operational capacity.

Mr Kundi said that police lines, stations and checkposts should be shifted to solar energy to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.

He added that restrictions on police procurement had been relaxed to facilitate the purchase of necessary equipment and other goods.

The governor said that the prime minister had promised at the recent Apex Committee meeting that the Centre would address all of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s demands.

He added that a package had also been announced for the province, with 70pc of the funds to be spent in the tribal districts.

Mr Kundi directed police officers to improve the performance of the dispute resolution councils by including capable and reputable members so that disputes could be resolved effectively at the local level.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2026