PESHAWAR: The chief minister of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Sunday approved the formation of the Special Branch as a specialized police unit, the Chief Minister’s Office said, as the province reels from a surge in deadly militant attacks.
The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in Peshawar. Afridi has vowed to strengthen the province’s police force and provide it with necessary resources as militant outfits such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have stepped up attacks on law enforcement personnel in recent months.
The chief minister formally gave the green signal for the Special Branch to be formed into a dedicated police unit. Its personnel are responsible for intelligence, security, verification, surveys and surveillance duties, the Chief Minister’s Office said.
“The police are a key pillar in the fight against terrorism; all resources will be provided to enhance the capacity of the Special Branch,” Afridi was quoted as saying by his office.
The chief minister approved the creation of 1,221 new posts for the Special Branch, Rs1,820 million [$6.44 million] for infrastructure and Rs904.7 million [$3.2 million] for motor vehicles.
