KP police short of 17,000 cops

PESHAWAR: Despite serious security threats, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police are facing a shortage of 17,000 police constables while ironically 13,500 police officials are posted as security guards for individuals and sensitive buildings.

Thus it creates an overall shortage of around 30,500 out of total strength of 123,000. The Special Security Unit created for the security of CPEC and non-CPEC projects is also facing a shortage of 2,500 officials and is operating with half of its strength.

The data revealed that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police are short of 74 officers from BPS-18 to BPS-21. Three officers of BPS-21 are not available while 2 posts of BPS-20 are vacant. Similarly, 41 vacancies of BPS-19 and 28 posts of BPS-18 are vacant.

When contacted the Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Akhtar Hayat Gandapur confirmed the figures and said KP police badly need officers, especially better quality officers.

“A lot of dead wood in BS-20, BS-19 remains here in KP and there is a chronic shortage of quality officers”, he said.

IG said the recruitment was banned for a year during the caretaker government.

Furthermore, the merged areas candidates couldn’t clear the test held in 2022, so they could not qualify for the vacant posts in 2022.

Sources disclosed that KP police are facing a shortage of 17,000 personnel in the province.

The sources further revealed that around 13,500 police constables and officers are deputed on the security duty of politicians, government officials, and sensitive buildings including the government offices, courts, and other buildings in the province.