PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has increased its police budget by 408% over the last 12 years, prioritizing security spending above all other provincial departments to combat rising security challenges.
According to official documents obtained from the Central Police Office (CPO), the total funding provided to the police force over the last decade has reached Rs824.3 billion.
This increase is significant considering the uptick in terror attacks in 2025, which was the deadliest year for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in more than a decade. To keep pace with the scale and pace of terrorism, these funds are being used to empower the police force with additional personnel, state-of-the-art equipment, and training.
For the current fiscal year (2025-26), the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police budget has been set at over Rs157.57 billion, marking a 26.6% increase from the previous year. This growth rate significantly outpaces other sectors, such as health (19.2%) and education (11%).
A total of Rs126.27 billion (a 25% increase) is dedicated to personnel salaries. A total of Rs25.57 billion (a 35% increase) has been earmarked for operational costs and equipment.
Beyond personnel costs, the provincial government is aggressively enhancing the force's tactical capabilities. The CPO confirmed that non-salary funds are being utilized to transform the police into a high-tech fighting force.
Key procurements and ongoing upgrades include investments in advanced equipment like anti-drone systems, night-vision guns, and armored command vehicles. Twenty bulletproof cars have already been delivered to the force.
Over 2,000 Kalashnikov rifles, along with specialized sniper rifles, have been provided to enhance field capacity.
The scale of this financial shift is clearer than in fiscal year 2014-15, when the total police budget was a mere 29.9 billion rupees. Over the years, the "Non-Salary" budget, essential for weapons and fuel, has grown from Rs3.61 billion in 2014 to over Rs25 billion today, reflecting a shift toward modernization and upgradation.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government maintains that these funds are essential to enhancing police capacity and ensuring the province's safety amid evolving security threats.
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