For VIP security, not terror: Why Pakistan wants to use its border force at home

Pakistani Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel - File Photo

Pakistan has upgraded its paramilitary Frontier Constabulary (FC) into a nationwide Federal Constabulary through a presidential ordinance issued on July 13, alarming civil-liberties advocates and analysts. This revamp empowers the federal government to deploy the force across all provinces and territories, with implications for increased militarisation and elite protection.

Established under the Frontier Constabulary Act of 1915 and 1958 rules, the FC traditionally patrolled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's borders against incursion and smuggling. It also guarded projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and dams in Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Frontier Corps (FC), though primarily deployed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and tribal areas, has recently been used in other regions as well. Last June, the force was sent into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following public protests. Despite its limited mandate, some FC units were also tasked with protecting VVIPs and sensitive sites in Punjab – a move that sparked widespread criticism. According to Samaa TV, recruitment for the force was traditionally limited to KP.

What changed

With Parliament shut, the President has issued the Frontier Constabulary (Re-organization) Ordinance, 2025, enabling the federal government to deploy the newly renamed Federal Constabulary across Pakistan for any security-related purpose, Dawn reported citing a former interior secretary.

Under the ordinance, the Frontier Constabulary has been restructured, with all its assets and personnel transferred while retaining their existing terms. The force will now operate in two parts: the Security Division, maintaining the current structure, and the Federal Reserve Division, focused on anti-riot and special protection duties. It will be headed by an Inspector General appointed by the federal government.

Why this shift is concerning

The new law allows the federal government to deploy the restructured Federal Constabulary even in politically sensitive areas like Punjab, PoK, Islamabad, and Gilgit-Baltistan, sparking concerns about increased militarisation and a bypass of regular law enforcement, according to reports by PTV and Dawn. Critics argue that the ordinance is being used to protect the ruling elite under the cover of national security. Dawn noted that the force could now be freely deployed to provide personal security to VIPs, framed as protecting official "escorts."

The move also weakens provincial authority by sidelining local police and giving more power to federal forces, raising fears about reduced accountability and democratic oversight. Analysts suggest this may be part of a broader political agenda to centralise control, using instability in regions like KP and Balochistan as a pretext to expand federal policing and military powers.

The Federal Constabulary is poised to operate across all provinces, including those where the civilian government would typically manage internal order. With central authority now in control, provincial civil liberties groups fear increased likelihood of unchecked force against dissenters, protests, or political rivals. Deployment in Punjab or urban centres could erode public trust and exacerbate tensions between civilian and military-influenced institutions.