KP CM approves major overhaul of Special Branch to boost counter-terror capabilities

• CM vows immediate resources, priority allowances to strengthen intelligence operations
• 1,221 new posts cleared as unit elevated into a separate specialized wing with Rs1.82b approved for new buildings, infrastructure expansion across KP

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Sunday approved a sweeping set of administrative and operational upgrades for the Police Special Branch in a major push to modernise the intelligence arm and reinforce the province’s counter-terrorism mechanism.

Chairing a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, he cleared pivotal reforms—including declaring the Special Branch a standalone specialized unit, creating 1,221 new posts, and approving a multi-billion-rupee financial package to significantly boost infrastructure, mobility and technical surveillance capacity.

CM Afridi gave in-principle approval for Rs1,820 million for infrastructure development and new buildings, along with Rs904.7 million for the purchase of 98 vehicles and 404 motorcycles to expand mobility across the province. A further Rs2,543.9 million will be dedicated to advanced technical equipment, surveillance systems and intelligence-gathering tools. He also directed that proposed allowances for Special Branch personnel be expedited, stressing that strengthening the police intelligence network was central to KP’s fight against terrorism. New buildings for the upgraded unit will also be set up in multiple districts.

During the briefing, officials outlined the core responsibilities of the Special Branch—intelligence collection, security assessments, verifications, surveys, and surveillance—noting that 308 personnel from the merged districts have already been integrated.

In 2025 alone, the Special Branch neutralised two suicide jackets, 32 IEDs, 70 rocket shells and 288 hand grenades, averting several planned terrorist attacks.

The unit also delivered extensive security and verification operations across the province, providing protective cover for 635 political gatherings; completing 3,124 NADRA checks; 6,840 passport verifications; 14,518 CPEC-related verifications; 6,060 personal verifications; and 9,413 official employee verifications.

Reaffirming his government’s commitment, CM Afridi said all required resources would be made available without delay to raise the professional capabilities of the Special Branch and to ensure the province’s security architecture remains fully equipped to counter emerging threats.