Islamabad (PNI) UNDP, Government of Japan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police launched the first ever Policing Plans for the Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) of Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Kurram at a ceremony held in Islamabad on Thursday.
The overall objective of the Policing Plans is to put in place a road map for the smooth transition of post – merger local policing to the formal policing and justice system in the NMDs. The plans also present a context specific framework for better delivery of people-centered policing services to the public through collaborative partnerships with local communities and other agencies of the criminal justice system. Furthermore, the Policing Plans also propose recommendations to federal, provincial, and district level decision makers in addressing resource and capacity gaps.
The initiative to develop Policing Plans for NMDs was jointly implemented by the KP Police and UNDP with generous funding from the Government of Japan under auspices of the project ‘Strengthening Rule of Law for Peacebuilding in the NMDs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan’. The project also involves infrastructure development support to build five new police stations in Bajaur, Mohmand, North Waziristan and Kurram, and train 278 former Levies and Khasadars who were recently integrated into the KP Police. The training involves both basic and training the trainers (ToT) courses. A total of 22 master trainer of the KP Police have already undergone training to lead the delivery of basic training rollout from August 2022.
The launch event highlighted the importance of international partner support and joint partnerships with KP Police to foster people – centered policing in NMDs. These efforts are crucial to restore public security services, rule of law, sustainable peace and development in the region.
His Excellency Mr. WADA Mitsuhiro, Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan thanked UNDP and KP Police for their pioneering efforts to strengthen policing in the NMDs. “Improving the local police service in NMDs is a key priority in ensuring a smooth transition to equitable public security and justice delivery in the post- merger districts. Therefore, development of the Police Plans is a crucial milestone in achieving this essential objective. I congratulate the KP Police and UNDP for their pioneering work and the Government of Japan is honoured to support this important initiative.”
Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mr. Moazzam Jah Ansari said “I extend my sincere gratitude to my team in KP Police and UNDP for their exceptional work in developing the very first Policing Plans for the NMDs. The Plans present a necessary road map to guide the post- merger transition in policing and better service delivery to the people. On behalf of the KP Police, I extend my sincere thanks to UNDP for its technical advice and assistance, and the Government of Japan for its generous funding. The next critical phase is the successful implementation of the Policing Plans across NMDs, and I look forward to UNDP and the Government of Japan’s continued assistance in this regard’
UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative Mr Knut Ostby said. “The Policing Plans will guide the trajectory for better policing that is people- centered and responsive to the needs of local communities. In addition to this, the infrastructure support to build new police stations and training former Levies and Khasadars who were recently integrated into KP Police will complement and add value to this crucial transition phase in the NMDs”. He added “UNDP will continue to provide technical support to KP Police in the implementation of the Policing Plans in NMDs.” Mr. Ostby also extended his appreciation to KP Police and the Government of Japan for their long-standing partnership with UNDP.
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