Breakup of figures: How law enforcement works

Given the perpetually heightened security threat that Pakistan faces, it is important to consider how the federal and provincial governments go about organising their security. Altogether, Pakistan spends Rs223 billion on law enforcement, but how it is divided is telling. Under the 18th Amendment, law and order has almost completely been delegated to the provinces.

While it is not surprising that Punjab spends the most on law enforcement - it also has the largest police force - it seems that spending on law enforcement is not proportional to the security threat that each province faces.

K-P allocates half of Sindh’s budget on law enforcement in nominal terms, despite having an arguably greater security threat. At the same time, their police force is only a quarter shy of Sindh’s. This implies that K-P is trying to do more with less capital, ultimately a symptom of structural financial inequality between the provinces, because the only funds that provinces can devote to law enforcement are the ones that provinces generate themselves.

The federal government spends only a third (Rs65 billion) of the total provincial spending on law enforcement (Rs158 billion) on civil armed forces such as the Rangers and the Frontier Corps. Federal law enforcement agencies are roughly equal in number in all provinces.

Pakistan has roughly 1 policeman for every 384 citizens, which is lower than the global average of 1 policeman for every 300. But then again, this is Pakistan after all. Not every country faces the kind of insurgency and security threats that Pakistan does. In context, then, Pakistan’s expenditure towards law enforcement does seem inadequate, particularly since the state resorts to unconventional measures like banning cellular services and pillion riding in securing law and order, especially during events of religious significance like Ashura.

There is also a wide gap in expenditure between defense and civilian law enforcement agencies. For the 2013-14 fiscal year, the defence budget goes up to Rs1 trillion, whereas the entire civilian law enforcement budget, federal and provincial, put together amounts to Rs225 billion, a quarter of the military budget. While the military has tremendous casualties in the tribal areas, the civilian law enforcement agencies have suffered the brunt of violence in the country, from terrorist attacks and targeted killings in different urban centres of the country. General Kayani himself has said that Pakistan’s greatest threat is internal, while our armed forces are designated to deal with ostensibly external threats, highlighting an imbalance in distribution. From the figures, it would seem that both numbers and capital need to be significantly increased at all bureaucratic levels to effectively establish law and order throughout the country.

SOURCES: NATIONAL POLICE BUREAU, PROVINCIAL POLICE HEADQUARTERS, FORMER INSPECTORS GENERAL POLICE, NACTA, ISLAMABAD POLICE, INTERIOR MINISTRY AND PROVINCIAL HOME DEPARTMENTS.

Rise in terrorist attacks from late year: 30%

2,147 - total attacks

300 - attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Lower and Upper Dir districts

45 - suicide bombings

797 - people were killed in 858 incidents in 2013

760 - security officials killed

Whatever the  current investment in law enforcement, it seems inadequate to deal with the heightened security threat as crime and terrorist attacks in particular have only risen. Worse, given their own casualties, law enforcement officials are struggling to protect themselves

Estimated total strength of police force: 466,585

In Pakistan: 1 Policeman for 384 people

Global median: 1 Policeman for 300 people

Provincial

Provincial forces: 348,975

Total budget: Rs158b

There seem to be few surprises in the breakdown of provincial budgets devoted to law enforcement: they mimic the economic disparities between the provinces, with Punjab’s budget being almost twice that of K-P and Balochistan put together, despite the latters’ arguably greater security issues.

Personnel:

Punjab

180,131 -------------- Rs70.5b

Sindh

80,000 -------------- Rs48.5b

KP

60,750 ----------------Rs23b

Balochistan

28,094 ----------------Rs16.23b

Federal 

Federal forces: 109,465

Total budget: Rs 65b

Below is the breakup of federal forces:

• Frontier Corps: 24,130

• Frontier Constabulary: 28,122

• Pakistan Rangers (Punjab):  23,123

• Pakistan Rangers (Sindh): 25,163

• Pakistan Coast Guards: 5,060

• Northern Areas Scouts: 3,867

• Intelligence Bureau: 5,000

Capital

Islamabad police personnel: 7,246

Total budget: Rs5.92b

The issues do, however, go beyond the funds that are allocated. Police conduct in Sindh and Balochistan is still based on the British-legislated Police Act of 1861, not taking into account any societal, economic or technological changes since then. Justifiably, then, former police officials and politicians call for reform rather than greater allocation of funds.

FC Platoons - total number: 547

82 FC platoons in KP

95 are with the army

43 with multinational companies,

5 are stationed at hydropower projects

45 are deployed with Karachi police

10 platoons have been deployed in Gilgit-Baltistan

48 platoons are stationed in Islamabad.

13 with Motorized Infantry Platoon,

8 with Motor Platoon,

25 platoons are under training at Shabqadar and

6 platoons are non-operational.

4, 655 FC soldiers have been recruited in the last two years.

Budget

Total - Rs223.5b

Federal - Rs65.3b

Civil Armed Forces: Rs32 billion

Frontier Constabulary: Rs6.2 billion

Pakistan Coast Guards: Rs1.48 billion

Pakistan Rangers: Rs14.5 billion

Other Expenditures of the Interior Division: Rs2.8 billion

Islamabad Capital Territory: Rs5.92 billion this year.

Provincial - Rs158.2b

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2013.