Established under the Civil Defence Act of 1952, the Civil Defence Department of Pakistan is one of the country’s oldest public safety institutions, created to protect civilians during emergencies, disasters, and wartime situations. Pakistan has also been a permanent member of the International Civil Defence Organization since 1972, reflecting the institution’s global relevance and recognised importance.
At its core, Civil Defence represents volunteerism, civic responsibility, and community cooperation. Unlike professional emergency services, it relies on trained citizens from within local communities, who often become the first responders in times of crisis. In communities like Pakistani society, neighbours traditionally help neighbours during emergencies, and Civil Defence is built on this very principle. No other emergency organisation in the country carries such a strong community-based character.
Despite its legal mandate and historical value, Civil Defence has remained neglected over the past two to three decades. Policymakers have focused on creating new emergency response mechanisms while overlooking this existing institution. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), this neglect has weakened operational capacity, discouraged volunteers, outdated training systems, and pushed Civil Defence to the sidelines.
This oversight is particularly concerning as KP faces frequent floods, earthquakes, landslides, security incidents, and humanitarian emergencies, all intensified by climate change.
Civil Defence was never intended to function as a routine government department. Across the world, similar organisations operate as people-centred movements, enabling trained volunteers to respond quickly within their own communities, often before professional services arrive.
International experience shows that volunteer-based civil protection systems are among the most cost-effective and resilient models of emergency response. Pakistan’s Civil Defence was founded on these same principles, with volunteers trained in first aid, firefighting, rescue, evacuation, public awareness, and protection of critical infrastructure.
In KP, however, years of institutional neglect have left volunteer networks largely inactive. Training has become rare and outdated, public awareness has declined, and many registered volunteers exist only on paper. Although some positive steps were taken in 2025 at the directorate level, meaningful revival still requires strong policy support, adequate budgeting, and systematic reforms.
The Civil Defence Department is not outdated; it has been forgotten and misunderstood. Its decline is not due to irrelevance, but neglect
In a recent meeting with Director Civil Defence KP, Mr Zahid Usman Kakakhel, it was shared that several policy and operational reforms are under consideration to strengthen the department and enhance the responsiveness of its volunteer wing.
Professional services such as Rescue 1122, the police, and humanitarian organisations play an important role during emergencies. However, they cannot replace a legally mandated, community-based Civil Defence force operating at the grassroots level. While police and rescue services are usually stationed in towns and cities, Civil Defence volunteers live within villages and neighbourhoods, giving them a critical advantage during the first hours of a disaster.
At the same time, many NGOs establish parallel volunteer systems, leading to duplication and overlap. Greater coordination is needed, with donor-funded projects and NGOs working in partnership with Civil Defence at the provincial and district levels. This approach would ensure sustainability, as volunteers would remain active and supported even after projects end or organisations leave an area.
The challenges facing Civil Defence in KP include institutional neglect, inactive volunteer networks, erosion of volunteer spirit, non-transparent leadership appointments, outdated training, lack of equipment, weak inter-agency coordination, and outmoded management systems. Together, these issues have left a proven national institution underutilised in the times when it is needed most.
Volunteerism is not a secondary feature of Civil Defence; it is its lifeline. Trained volunteers are a form of national capital that requires time, trust, continuous training, and institutional support. When such systems are ignored, they slowly erode, and their absence is felt sharply during emergencies.
Reviving Civil Defence in KP requires a clear vision and practical action: institutional reforms, transparent volunteer recruitment, modern training, basic equipment and identity for volunteers, stronger coordination among agencies, and sustained public awareness efforts. Civil Defence should also serve as the central coordinating platform for emergency-related operations, coordination, and volunteerism.
Not only KP, but also other provinces, the capital territory, AJK, and GB require similar focus and attention towards Civil Defence.
The Civil Defence Department is not outdated; it has been forgotten and misunderstood. Its decline is not due to irrelevance, but neglect. Revitalising Civil Defence, especially its volunteer base, is not merely an administrative exercise. It is a strategic investment in patriotism, public safety, disaster resilience, and civic responsibility.
Reviving Civil Defence would require practical actions, including reforms in institutional structures and strengthening accountability, reactivating volunteer networks through transparent, community-based recruitment, modernising training systems with practical and scenario-based learning, providing basic equipment, uniforms, and identity to volunteers, ensuring strong coordination among government departments and NGOs, and promoting public awareness through schools, colleges, and the media.
With the right reforms, this historic institution can once again fulfil its mission of protecting civilians, strengthening communities, and serving the nation when it matters most.