The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police on Sunday night introduced an SMS-based system to facilitate complainants of heinous crimes, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) announced on Twitter.

The Raabta system will facilitate the tracing of progress in cases and allow complainants to remain in contact with the Investigation Officer (IO) tasked with probing their case, the PTI said, quoting Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Qazi Jamil.

Once a first information report is registered in any police station in the province, the complainant will receive a text message containing the serial number of the FIR, the sections of law that it has been lodged under, and the name and contact number of the IO.

The IO will also be sent an SMS with the name and contact number of the complainant so that they can contact and coordinate with the latter. Once the IO has contacted the complainant, they will apprise their senior officers of developments in the investigation.

Additionally, as the FIR is filed, senior police officials including the CCPO, senior superintendents of police and deputy superintendents of police, will also receive the case details.

"[The] purpose [of the new system] is to facilitate [the] complainant so that he/she knows that his/her case is registered and contact [has been] established," the PTI tweeted. "It will prevent complainant trouble to get FIR details and botheration to trace case."

The PTI added that the aim of Raabta is to facilitate complainants and make the IO accessible to them. "Moreover, all supervisory officers will get details and they will ask the IO for updates and will also ask the complainant for his feedback etc."

More features will be added to the new system, the PTI said.

The move is part of the PTI's agenda to introduce police reforms in KP in order to improve the law and order situation in the province. The PTI in its manifesto promised to make public outreach to police easier. The promise is part is the party's plan to depoliticise and strengthen policing.