The Pakistani federal government has approved the establishment of a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) within the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) police force. The approval includes the creation of 613 new positions, aimed at bolstering the region’s capacity to combat terrorism and violent crime, particularly along the strategically important Karakoram Highway (KKH).
The decision follows a directive from the Prime Minister issued in November 2024, mandating the creation of the CTD within six months. The project, costing over 1.5 billion rupees, was reviewed by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on July 25th, 2025. While the CDWP approved the construction of a CTD headquarters in Gilgit and a regional office in Chilas (at a cost of Rs720.50 million), funding for this construction has been deferred until the 2026-27 fiscal year due to budgetary constraints.
The Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives cited reduced fiscal space in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and existing substantial financial commitments to GB as reasons for the delay. The GB government has been instructed to fund the construction either through its own resources or by seeking additional budget support from the Finance Division. The Planning Commission chairman emphasized that the PSDP is intended for development projects, while recurring costs like arms and ammunition should be covered by the existing budget.
The GB Home Department highlighted its limited budget and existing resource shortages, exacerbated by recent floods, making it impossible to accommodate the new project without external funding. They also noted a potential reduction of Rs40 billion from the already approved SDP, further limiting the PSDP to only ongoing strategic projects.
Although the Federal Finance Division has approved the creation of the 613 new CTD posts, it has stipulated that the GB government must cover the associated financial implications from its own resources. No additional federal funding will be provided for these new positions. The Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, GB and States and Frontier Regions will sponsor the overall project.
