KP Police Staff Shortage Crisis Deepens as Thousands of Vacancies Remain Unfilled

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police is grappling with a severe staff shortage, with over 15,000 vacancies across ranks from constable to inspector, as revealed by official documents. This includes a critical need for over 9,600 constables and a significant lack of female representation, with only one female inspector currently serving. Inspector General KP Zulfiqar Hameed emphasized that this crisis severely impacts law enforcement efficiency and operational capacity, especially given that KP is Pakistan's most terrorism-affected province, experiencing over 50% of the country's terrorism incidents last year. The IG has called on the federal government to increase the number of PSP officers and grant KP 'hard area' status, while also advocating for a revised basic salary structure and martyrdom package from the provincial government to better support police personnel.