PESHAWAR, NOV 8: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to establish faceless courts for the trial of terrorism suspects as part of a new strategy to combat terrorism, the provincial home secretary said on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, KP Home Secretary Amjad Ali Khan said the provincial government had devised a new strategy to tackle terrorism across the province.

He said that the now-dysfunctional Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed provincial government had not provided the required support for the fight against terrorism or the repatriation of Afghan refugees.

According to Khan, the previous government had allocated Rs6.4 billion for 22 districts but released only Rs1 billion.

However, he said that the federal and provincial governments were now on the same page regarding counterterrorism efforts.

The KP home secretary also announced plans to increase intelligence-based operations and arrest individuals providing support to terrorists.

According to Khan, anti-drone systems were being installed in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Bannu to strengthen security arrangements.

Khan said Rs70 billion would be provided to the police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) this year, adding that Rs59.8 billion had been allocated for improving police infrastructure, while Rs10.3 billion had been earmarked for the CTD.

The home secretary further said that a plan had been prepared to increase the CTD’s capacity from 12% to 37%.

He said the shortage of personnel in the police force currently stood at 15%, adding that the target was to reduce it to 5%.

Faceless courts to protect judges, witnesses
Khan’s announcement comes after an earlier briefing by the KP Home Department to a high-level meeting attended by the KP governor, advisers, chief secretary, secretaries of all departments and senior police officers, according to The News.

During the briefing, it was stated that faceless ATCs were being established for the trials of terrorists.

Under the proposed system, the identities of judges, witnesses, police personnel and other relevant individuals will remain confidential during the hearing of terrorism cases to protect them from potential threats posed by terrorists or their networks.

Legislation is being introduced for this purpose. However, under the proposed judicial system, the parties concerned will retain the right to appeal against a decision before the High Court.

It was also decided to strengthen public engagement by the police and the system for resolving disputes at the local level.

In this regard, Dispute Resolution Councils (DRCs) and liaison committees in tribal areas will be made functional and strengthened, while the jirga system will be promoted. In addition, 400 police facilitation smart desks will be established to make it easier for citizens to access police services and register complaints.