Peshawar - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has said that the province is now self-sufficient in forensic lab operations and no longer requires support from other provinces for forensic serices.
He said this while inaugurating the newly constructed Investigation and Intelligence Block at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Headquarters here on Sunday.
The CP informed that plans are also underway to procure 20 bomb-proof vehicles, high-tech kits, sniper rifles, advanced drones, and thermal devices for the CTD.
He praised the progress made over the past year, noting that the CTD’s infrastructure in 2023 was almost non-existent, and in just one year, we have significantly strengthened the CTD, and its performance has improved tremendously.
He commended the police for their dedication and announced an additional Rs. 1 billion to further enhance the CTD’s capabilities.
Acknowledging the sacrifices of police personnel, the Chief Minister assured full support for the families of fallen officers. “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police are fighting the nation’s war, and we salute the sacrifices of our martyrs and their families,” he said adding that the provincial government has increased the quota for the recruitment of martyrs’ children from 5% to 12.5% and is providing plots to the families of all martyrs.
Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, the new block features an auditorium, conference room, library, offices, and other modern amenities.
Advisor to the Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, Additional Chief Secretary for Home Affairs Muhammad Abid Majeed, and other senior officials accompanied the Chief Minister.
During a briefing on the occasion, police officials highlighted key initiatives taken by the incumbent provincial government for the capacity building of CTD to enable it effectively deal with the prevailing situation.
It was also informed that new units including Data Collection, Data Mining, Crime Scene, and Cybercrime Units, have been established to provide technical support for counter-terrorism efforts adding that a Central Intelligence Agency has also been formed to streamline intelligence operations, and a Counter-Terrorism Financing and Extortion Unit has been set up to curb financial support for terrorism and extortion activities.
It was further apprised that other capacity enhancement initiatives for CTD include the approval of new Director General Positions for IT and Research & Analysis to bolster investigative and technical capabilities, and establishment of CTD offices across the province including in the newly merged districts.
The Chief Minister was informed that that 18 dedicated public prosecutors have been appointed in CTD to ensure effective prosecution of terrorism cases, and added that to strengthen intelligence operations, 314 detective officer positions have been created, and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams equipped with advanced weapons and equipment have been deployed in all districts. Forensic lab has been upgraded with modern equipment and trained specialists, while 30 CTD vehicles have been fitted with jamming devices.
Moreover, the CTD personnel have been provided with modern laptops, mobile phones, and bulletproof vehicles in sensitive districts while advanced drones, night vision devices, and thermal guns have also been introduced to monitor terrorist activities.
It was apprised that CTD’s workforce has been expanded by 1,263 personnel, raising the total strength from 3,167 to 4,430.
The officials noted that these measures have significantly improved CTD’s overall performance, resulting in the prevention of several terror plots through intelligence-based operations. The conviction rate for terrorism cases has increased from 13% in 2022 to 38% in 2024, while the average remand period for suspects has risen from 1.4 days to 25 days. The number of bail rejections for suspects has also increased from 55 in 2022 to 123 in 2024.
