On February 27, the U.S. Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Section (INL) Director Gregory Schiffer celebrated the completion of three new infrastructure projects for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police, worth almost 1.9 billion rupees ($17 million). KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and KP Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Khan Mehsud participated in the ceremony at the Chief Minister’s House.
The United States has made possible the completion of three new infrastructure projects – Buner Police Lines, Additional Works at the Joint Police Training Center, and 31 Crescent Posts – that will increase security and law enforcement capabilities in KP. These projects will help the KP police prevent infiltrations into Peshawar from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the border; increase police presence in areas with militant activity; and provide training facilities where the police can learn to better respond to terrorism-related incidents. For example, the Joint Police Training Center in Nowshera has trained more than 4,000 police officers, including almost 100 female commandos, since its opening in 2014.
“Today’s event marks another step in the long partnership between INL, the KP Police, and the broader civilian law enforcement community in Pakistan,” Schiffer said. “[The KP Police] should be proud that, through [its] efforts and dedication, terrorism incidents in the province are down and the citizens of KP live in greater security.”
Schiffer noted the proud partnership between INL and the KP Police for the past 15 years, including INL’s delivery of thousands of protective gear and more than two dozen armored vehicles; the construction of training centers and police facilities; and the training of hundreds of KP police officers on modern policing practices, investigations, and emergency medical response.
For almost 40 years, the United States and Pakistan have worked to improve citizen security and enhance police capacity across Pakistan. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs works in more than 90 countries to help combat crime and corruption; counter the narcotics trade; improve police institutions; and promote court systems that are fair and accountable. Find out more about INL at: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/.
