The unprecedented sacrifices made by the KP police in war on terror (WoT), going above and beyond the call of their duties have made them look ever more respectable before the general public. The media also needs to report positively and responsibly on these inspiring examples to improve the image of police. The police today in KP is far better than the police one decade ago through the reforms which have improved its capacity significantly. Initiatives like Ulasi Police have helped improving the awareness among the general public about how police is reforming itself to be oriented for public welfare and addressing the trust deficit. KP Police has successfully archived systemic database that can be used for quick situational analysis post an event of terrorism.
These were the remarks made by Mr. Sahibzada Sajjad Ahmad, Superintendent of Police (Security), Peshawar during the consultative meeting on KP police reforms in Peshawar. The meeting was a part of the project “Ulasi Police”, which is an awareness and advocacy campaign undertaken by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) – as part of USAID Small Grants and Ambassadors’ Fund Program – to strengthen the rule of law in KP province by promoting and disseminating the significant police reforms aimed at incorporating local communities’ policing needs and international human rights standards. The endeavor aims to tackle the trust deficit between the public and police, help KP police become an accountable and community-focused police force.
The other working group members of police included:
Mr. Rokhan Zeb, Deputy Superintendent Police, Gulbahar, Peshawar, Ms. Aneela Naz, Deputy Superintendent Police, Training, Peshawar, Ms. Rozia Iltaf, Deputy Superintendent Police Investigation, Peshawar, Mr. Asfandyar, Assistant Director for Information Technology, Peshawar, Ms. Rizwana Tufail, Station House Officer, Model Police Station, Sherki, Peshawar, Imran Khan, Sub Inspector/ In-charge, Police Assistance Line, Peshawar.
The participating police officials said that the KP police started community policing at the time when they were ever more vulnerable. The IT tools as part of the KP police reforms including Identity Verification System (IVS), Vehicle Verification System (VVS) and Criminal Record Verification System (CRVS) have been beneficial both for police and public with regard to prompt verification and peace of mind respectively. Model police stations have been increased from 7 to 21 in the KP province where each one having dedicated facilitation desks for women. The women police officials – despite limited strength – have shown remarkable performance; participating in the joint operations and efforts for community policing.
The working group members from the community included:
Ms. Asia Khattak, LG Representative, Mr. Silas Gill, Minority Member and LG Representative, Mr. Asif Qureshi, Educationist, Mr. Ghulam Rahmani, Religious Scholar, Mr. Nizam Uddin, Communication Officer at Sub-National Governance Program, Mr. Faridullah Khan, Peshawar Based Journalist, Mr. Zahir Shah Safi, Lawyer.
The participating members of the community said that there was a dire need to focus on the capacity building and training – on public relations skills – of those personnel who frequently interact with public. Appreciating the sacrifices of police, they said that it was only the policeman who chooses to be martyred to save the lives of thousands. The members said that the authorities also need to pay attention towards the performance of police in rural areas besides the reformation going on in the urban centers.