Daily Times

The Embassy of the United States in Pakistan has celebrated completion of the Police-Community Together Programme which aimed at ensure more inclusivity in the force. Deputy Chief of Mission of US in Pakistan Andrew Schofer addressed the commemoration ceremony here at a local hotel. “We gather here to celebrate the successful conclusion of the Police-Community Together Programme – an extraordinary partnership among the Pakistani Police, the United States Institute of Peace, and the US Embassy that has made significant progress toward a more inclusive Pakistani Police force that elevates female police officers across Pakistan,” the Deputy Chief of Mission said on the occasion.

Throughout the 76-year bilateral relationship, he said, the United States had worked with Pakistan to advance freedom and equality for Pakistanis, regardless of race, religion, or gender. “With the support of law enforcement agencies and USIP, we have seen an impressive increase of more than 20 percent in female police representation in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police over the past three years,” he added. He said that the Punjab Police and its Women’s Police Council had trained more than 1,800 women officers as victim support officers.

The National Police Academy revised and improved the 18-month initial command course to ensure that Assistant Superintendents of Police were better trained and positioned to emerge as change-making leaders, the chief noted. He said Pakistan’s first-ever Women’s Police Councils empowered female officers to assume leadership roles as station house officers.

“Many have been at the forefront of establishing anti-harassment committees among their colleagues and providing gender sensitivity training,” he added. “I want to especially recognize the brave women spearheading these changes as members of Pakistan’s police force. You have stepped up to meet the call to keep your communities safe. You respond to dangerous situations and challenging circumstances at real personal risk. On behalf of the government and people of the United States, you have our deep respect and admiration,” he remarked. He expressed gratitude for the partners at USIP for their unwavering dedication to increasing the number of female police officers in Pakistan and fostering citizen-centric practices across the Pakistani Police force.