ISLAMABAD: The seven newly merged districts (NMD) of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will have their first-ever policing plans to transition from local policing to formal policing and justice system.

The ‘Policing Plans for the Merged Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ launched on Friday were jointly developed by the KP Police and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Japanese government.

The plans, which will be implemented in Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Kurram, present a framework for “people-centric policing services in partnership with the local communities and other agencies of the criminal justice system”.

The plans were developed under the auspices of the project ‘Strengthening Rule of Law for Peacebuilding in the NMDs of Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa’.

Plans to lead transition from local policing to formal policing; new police stations, training for Levies, Khasadar part of plans

Under the project, five new police stations would be built in Bajaur, Mohmand, North Waziristan and Kurram, along with the training of 278 former Levies and Khasadar forces who were recently integrated into the KP Police.

The policing plans also propose recommendations to address resource and capacity gaps.

Speaking on the occasion, Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Wada Mitsuhiro said that improving police service in the NMDs would ensure a smooth transition to equitable public security and justice delivery. This plan is a crucial milestone in achieving this essential objective, he added.

UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative Knut Ostby said that the plans would lead to better policing that is people-centred and responsive to the needs of local communities.

KP Inspector-General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari said that the policing plans present a road map to guide the post-merger transition in policing and better service delivery to the people.

The next phase will be the successful implementation of this plan across the NMDs, he added.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2022