PESHAWAR, Sep 29 (APP):A total of 122 police personnel were martyred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the first half of 2026, compared with 63 fatalities recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, showing an increase of 93.7 percent, according to official data. The data showed that 175 police personnel were also injured in the first six months of 2026, compared with 84 in the same period last year, reflecting an increase …
KP police fatalities rise 93.7pc in first half of 2026; attacks increase by 33.9pc
PESHAWAR, Sep 29 (APP):A total of 122 police personnel were martyred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the first half of 2026, compared with 63 fatalities recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, showing an increase of 93.7 percent, according to official data.
The data showed that 175 police personnel were also injured in the first six months of 2026, compared with 84 in the same period last year, reflecting an increase of 108.3 percent.
The province recorded 680 attacks from January to September 2026 against 508 during the corresponding period of 2025, an increase of 33.9 percent.
The figures also highlighted gaps in the operational capacity of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). Against Rs7.77 billion approved for CTD equipment, Rs7.05 billion had been released by June 2026, leaving a gap of Rs720 million.
A December 2025 report showed that 3,113 personnel were serving against 3,844 sanctioned posts in the KP CTD, leaving around 19 percent of the sanctioned positions vacant.
The shortage was particularly significant among field operators, with 638 vacancies still unfilled as of June 2026, indicating that recruitment of specialised personnel remained incomplete.
The available protective equipment also remained below reported requirements. The KP CTD had 17 bulletproof vehicles compared with 76 in Punjab and 42 in Balochistan, according to the available data.
Similarly, against a requirement of 200 M4 rifles, the KP CTD had only nine available as of December 2025, representing 4.5 percent of the stated requirement.
The department also had 11 night-vision devices against a requirement of 35, meeting around 31.4 percent of the requirement.
The equipment issue was further highlighted in July 2026 when an injured police officer called for better weapons, underscoring the need for timely provision of suitable equipment to frontline personnel.
Despite the security challenges, police operations continued against narcotics trafficking across the province. During the first quarter of 2026, law-enforcement agencies recovered 5,695 kilograms of cannabis, 847 kilograms of ice, 210 kilograms of heroin and 275 kilograms of opium.
Peshawar also witnessed major drug seizures in September, with 960 kilograms of narcotics recovered during the month, indicating the scale of trafficking networks operating in the provincial capital.
In September, raids were also conducted on two alleged synthetic-drug manufacturing facilities in Peshawar. The developments highlighted the need for further investigation into local suppliers and alleged financial backers involved in the production and distribution network.
Official budget records for June 2026 showed that the annual target for eradication of narcotics-producing crops in the province was set at 250 kanals. By April, action had been taken over 130 kanals.
The data presents a picture of sustained security pressures in the province while also highlighting ongoing law-enforcement efforts against terrorism, crime and narcotics trafficking, alongside the need to strengthen specialised police capacity, manpower and operational equipment.
