Pakistan Moves to Centralise Policing Under New Security Policy

Pakistan’s federal government has initiated work on a new five-year internal security framework aimed at reshaping how police forces coordinate across provinces, share intelligence and respond to terrorism, organised crime and emerging security threats. The proposed National Internal Security Policy 2026–30 is expected to be reviewed at a high-level meeting of the National Police Management Board later this month.

According to the report, the interior ministry has asked police chiefs from all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to submit their recommendations before the policy is finalised. The planned framework seeks to build a more centralised structure for policing, with stronger coordination between civil law enforcement agencies and national-level institutions.

Key proposals under consideration include integrating criminal records at the national level, strengthening interprovincial intelligence sharing, developing a Counter-Terrorism Department for Gilgit-Baltistan and improving the handling of terror-financing investigations. The National Police Bureau is expected to play a larger role in shaping reforms and providing policy direction to police departments nationwide.

FIA Director General and National Police Bureau chief Dr Usman Anwar, who will convene the upcoming meeting, highlighted the need for a uniform mechanism across provinces. He said different law enforcement agencies currently face coordination gaps, while modern policing challenges require closer cooperation with domestic and international intelligence partners.

The policy discussion comes at a time when Pakistan continues to face a complex internal security environment, ranging from terrorism and militancy to cyber-enabled crimes, transnational criminal networks and weaknesses in investigation systems. Officials believe that a more unified national policing model could help reduce duplication, speed up responses and create clearer lines of responsibility.

Former National Police Bureau director general Tariq Khosa has also proposed that the bureau should lead a steering committee to develop recommendations for the new policy. He suggested the creation of a national criminal record access system and standardisation of firearms-related legislation to improve coordination and enforcement across jurisdictions.

The latest initiative builds on earlier debates about police reform in Pakistan, where provincial autonomy, resource shortages, uneven training standards and fragmented data systems have long affected the performance of law enforcement agencies. Security specialists have repeatedly argued that terrorism and organised crime cannot be tackled effectively if provincial and federal systems operate in isolation.

For Pakistan, the impact of such a policy could be significant if implemented effectively. A national-level policing framework may improve counterterrorism coordination, enhance public safety, support criminal investigations and help the state respond more quickly to threats that cross provincial boundaries. However, its success will depend on political consensus, funding, institutional trust and practical cooperation among provinces.

The next step will be the National Police Management Board’s extraordinary meeting, where police chiefs and senior officials are expected to review the proposals and submit actionable points. The final policy will likely test whether Pakistan can turn long-discussed security reforms into a coordinated system capable of addressing both traditional and fast-evolving threats.