PESHAWAR (Lord Media): Despite rising terrorism threats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) lags behind Balochistan due to a shortage of personnel, permanent staff, and modern resources. According to official documents, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s CTD has a total strength of 3,844, but only 25 are permanent employees. Approximately 2,976 personnel are drawn from the police’s executive staff.
In contrast, Balochistan’s CTD has 5,540 personnel, including 1,827 permanent employees. Punjab’s CTD has a total strength of 6,053, with 2,153 permanent staff. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lacks a permanent district office for CTD, although 21 district offices and 12 out of 15 regional headquarters have been constructed.
In terms of resources, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is also behind. The CTD possesses only 17 bulletproof double-cabin vehicles, whereas Balochistan has 42 and Punjab has 76. Documents reveal that to enhance operational capacity, 97 new vehicles, including 60 bulletproof ones, are being procured, and the recruitment of 638 permanent field operators is underway. The report identifies the shortage of permanent personnel, secure vehicles, and modern resources as a significant operational challenge for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s CTD amid increasing terrorism threats.
