The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government plans to establish faceless courts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to try terrorism suspects and protect judges, witnesses and other individuals involved in such cases.
KP Home Secretary Amjad Ali Khan announced the plan at a press conference in Peshawar on Sunday. He said the provincial government had developed a new strategy to tackle terrorism across the province.
Under the proposed system, the identities of judges, witnesses, police officers and other relevant individuals will remain confidential during terrorism trials. The measure aims to protect them from threats by terrorists and their networks.
Khan said legislation was being introduced to establish the courts. However, parties involved in the cases would retain the right to challenge court decisions before the High Court.
The home secretary also announced plans to expand intelligence-based operations and arrest individuals providing support to terrorist groups.
He criticised the previous PTI-backed provincial government for failing to provide adequate support for counterterrorism efforts and the repatriation of Afghan refugees. He said the previous government had allocated Rs6.4 billion for 22 districts but released only Rs1 billion.
Khan added that the federal and provincial governments were now working together on counterterrorism measures.
As part of the new security strategy, anti-drone systems are being installed in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Bannu.
The government will provide Rs70 billion to the police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) this year. Of this amount, Rs59.8 billion has been allocated for police infrastructure, while Rs10.3 billion will go to the CTD.
Khan said the government also planned to increase the CTD’s operational capacity from 12 per cent to 37 per cent. The police force currently faces a 15 per cent staff shortage, which the government aims to reduce to five per cent.
The strategy also includes measures to improve public access to police services and strengthen local dispute resolution mechanisms.
Dispute Resolution Councils (DRCs) and liaison committees in tribal areas will be made functional, while the government will encourage the traditional jirga system.
In addition, 400 police facilitation smart desks will be established across the province to help citizens access police services and register complaints.
