PESHAWAR – In a revealing assessment of policing infrastructure, it has emerged that 23 out of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 35 districts lack dedicated crime scene vehicles, while several tribal districts also remain deprived of essential crime scene kits.
The shortage of forensic tools and mobility resources has raised concerns about the effectiveness of police investigations, particularly in remote and merged districts.
According to official sources, only 12 districts—including Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Bannu, Tank, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, and Lower Chitral—currently have access to fully equipped crime scene vehicles and kits. In contrast, seven merged tribal districts—Bajaur, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, North Waziristan, South Waziristan Lower, and South Waziristan Upper—have no such facilities at all.
Police officers in these districts report facing serious hurdles while investigating criminal cases. Without proper vehicles, teams often rely on regular patrol vans or personal transport to reach crime locations, delaying evidence collection.
The lack of crime scene kits—containing gloves, sample containers, protective suits, and forensic tools—further compromises the quality and accuracy of investigations.
The absence of these critical resources undermines the professionalism of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, particularly in the tribal belt where complex cases often require specialized handling. Out of the total 35 districts, 28 have been provided with basic forensic kits, but the remaining seven still await necessary equipment.
Police officials, however, maintain that efforts are underway to strengthen policing capacity in the merged areas. They claim that the provincial government has initiated measures to upgrade the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police infrastructure by providing modern vehicles, arms, and surveillance technology.
Some sensitive districts have already received bulletproof vehicles, advanced weaponry, and drone technology to enhance operational efficiency.
The lack of crime scene vehicles and forensic kits continues to highlight the disparity in resource allocation within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, affecting timely justice delivery in Pakistan’s most vulnerable regions.
