KARACHI: Some 683 Assistant Sub-Inspectors, including 28 women, completed their training and joined the Sindh police in Karachi and other parts of the province on Thursday.

The passing-out parade of the 58 Eaglet Course was held at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Elite Police Training Centre (SBBEPTC), Razzakabad.

Speaking on the occasion, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon said he was happy to see that those who were recruited on merit now joining the force after completion of their training to demonstrate their capabilities.

The Sindh police chief observed that he wanted that the training should be mandatory for all police personnel like personnel of the army and Rangers.

“The Sindh government is providing reasonable funds for training of officers despite devastation caused by recent floods,” he said, adding that budget of training centres should be enhanced further.

He recalled that when he saw the budget of police training centre at Shahdadpur, he was surprised to note as to how this centre was functioning with such a meagre amount. “I realised that corruption in police training centres was partly the outcome of such a small budget.”

He said he had taken this issue seriously and got the budget increased from the provincial government.

The IGP informed the audience about problems being faced by policemen and said when he met with an injured policeman at the Aga Khan University Hospital and he informed him that he had suffered bullet wounds in the abdomen and did not get salary for the past eight months.

“I appreciate such officers who also show regard and respect for their institution,” he said, adding that there were also certain officers in the police force who made videos viral for small issues.

“We are part of the force and we have to be ready to face any situation,” he said.

The top cop said that one policeman’s bad work brought disrepute for the institution while the good work raised the image of the whole police.

DIG-Headquarters Abdul Hameed said that those 364 ASIs among the total personnel would perform their duty at Counter-Terrorism Department in Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of the province.

“Police are facing multifarious challenges ranging from street crimes to terrorism,” said the DIG Headquarters, adding that it required good training to meet such challenges.

He opined that good training would also lead to better policing. He said training centres were being equipped with modern technology.

SBBEPTC Commandant SSP Erum Awan said training holds paramount importance in the police. Joining of female officers in the police was part of ‘women empowerment’ in which IGP Memon had played a significant role, she said.

She expressed her gratitude to the IGP by showing his confidence on her to lead the training centre of the police in the metropolis.

Earlier, Karachi police chief Javed Odho welcomed the IGP.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2022