The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has formally urged the federal government to declare the province a “hard area” and approve special hardship allowances for civil servants and police officers serving there.
The request outlines increased financial incentives, including a running basic pay special allowance for personnel stationed at the Central Police Office (CPO), a similar allowance for field officers, and a field-specific allowance amounting to 150% of the officers’ current basic salary.
Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hamid highlighted a serious shortage of officers in senior grades such as BPS 19, 20, and 21. He noted that many top posts remain vacant due to limited financial benefits and ongoing security risks in the province. “We are only seeking the same treatment as Balochistan,” he added.
The provincial Home and Tribal Affairs Department communicated the proposal through official correspondence (Letter No. SO(Budget)HD/5-14/General/2024-2025) to the federal authorities.
The letter stressed that, like Balochistan—which already enjoys “hard area” status and provides enhanced allowances to its officers—KP faces similar, if not more severe, security challenges and therefore deserves equivalent recognition and benefits.
It further emphasized that despite years of combating terrorism, in which hundreds of KP police officers and personnel have sacrificed their lives, the officers continue to receive lower compensation packages than their peers in other provinces.
This pay disparity has resulted in reluctance among senior officers to accept assignments in KP, worsening the shortage of experienced leadership in the province’s security and administrative sectors.
