Govt to improve police investigation techniques

Special assistant to prime minister urges police officers to dispense their responsibilities with honesty

ISLAMABAD: The government wants to convert the police force in the federal capital into a strong unit with capable officers who are equipped with modern gadgets and better investigation techniques.

This was declared by the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Interior Affairs and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar on Friday as he addressed policemen at the Police Lines Headquarters in Islamabad.

Later, while speaking to the media, Akbar said that he wanted to make the police force capable enough to complete investigations speedily and help provide quick justice to the people.

He added that Islamabad has been ranked as the safest city in the world and that it was the only capital where people consider themselves as safe.

Akbar added that the government is fully supporting the capital police by enhancing their capacity so that they can meet the expectations of the people.

“The government had already fulfilled the promises made with Islamabad Police while various welfare steps are being taken for the force,” he said.

The special assistant urged police officers to dispense their responsibilities honestly and serve the people with devotion. He recalled the sacrifices rendered in the war against terrorism and how its personnel had averted many threats with courage and even sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

Earlier, a smartly turned out contingent of the Islamabad Police presented a guard of honour to the adviser.

Akbar and other senior police officers visited the Yadgar-e-Shuda and offered Fateha for fallen policemen. The special assistant planted a sapling and watched police commandos train.

Islamabad Police Inspector General (IGP) Aamir Zulfiqar said that all possible efforts were being made to ensure friendly policing in the city by promoting ties with the public.

To emphasise the state of security in the federal capital, he pointed out that the United Nations has declared the city as a `family station' for its staff. Moreover, the World Crime Index has declared the federal capital as a safe city.

To further improve security in the city, he said that ‘Shaheen Squads’ have been constituted to ensure effective patrolling while a School of Investigation has been set up to inculcate better investigation skills amongst policemen.

Moreover, he said that the Islamabad Police has introduced a Police Complaints Redressal System (PCRS), under which it received as many as 4,837 complaints of which 4,497 complaints have been resolved. The remaining 340 complaints are under consideration.

A total of 11,339 complaints were received on the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (PMDU) regarding the capital’s police force. Of these, 11,033 have been resolved thus far.

Similarly, some 917 complaints were filed against policemen with the Internal Accountability Unit (IAU) of which 915 complaints have been resolved and the remaining two are under process. An email address ([e-mail]) had been introduced for citizens to file complaints on and 489 of 494 complaints filed on it have been resolved.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2019.