Govt decides convert FC into Federal Force to strengthen internal security frameworks

The Federal Government has decided to convert the Frontier Constabulary into a countrywide federal force. According to sources, the force will be renamed as the Federal Constabulary.

It will be empowered to operate in all four provinces, including Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Officers of the Police Service of Pakistan will command the Federal Constabulary under the reorganization framework. The source said the establishment of the Federal Constabulary will provide substantial support in ensuring internal security and public order in the country.

In a landmark move towards strengthening internal security frameworks, the federal government has decided to reorganize the Frontier Constabulary (FC) as a fully federal paramilitary force, mandated to operate across the entire country under a unified command structure.  Amendment to the Frontier Constabulary Act, 1915. This strategic realignment includes a significant legal overhaul: the government is amending the Frontier Constabulary Act of 1915—a colonial-era framework—to reflect contemporary security demands. A new ordinance will be promulgated to formally expand the jurisdiction, operational authority, and legal mandate of the FC.

The FC will now be empowered to function nationwide, including urban centers and conflict-prone regions, allowing seamless coordination with provincial police, civil armed forces, and federal law enforcement agencies. This will help address transprovincial threats like terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and organized crime more effectively.
 The ordinance will provide statutory backing for operational deployments, define standard rules of engagement, and institutionalize oversight mechanisms, ensuring the force’s enhanced role is exercised within constitutional and legal limits. It also reflects the government’s commitment to rule of law, inter-agency coordination, and professionalization of paramilitary forces.

Pakistan’s internal security landscape has evolved significantly over the decades. The decision to expand FC’s national role is a timely and well-considered response to emerging multi-domain threats—from urban terrorism to cross-provincial criminal networks—that require agile, empowered, and nationally integrated response forces.
As part of this transformation, significant emphasis is being placed on modernizing training, improving operational equipment, and enhancing welfare facilities for FC personnel, reflecting the government’s recognition of their role in safeguarding national security.
The decision enjoys wide inter-ministerial consensus, with inputs from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, and provincial governments. It also ensures parliamentary and civilian oversight, affirming the democratic legitimacy of the force’s expanded role.