National Police Safety Commission (NPSC) on Thursday decided to hold a National Conference of Public Safety Commissions (NCPSCs) in Pakistan in the last week of December 2007 with the support of Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The decision was taken at the 18th meeting of the Commission at the National Police Bureau under the chairmanship of caretaker Interior Minister Lieutenant General Hamid Nawaz (retd).
Representatives from the provincial and district public safety and police complaints commissions, members of civil society and criminal justice will attend the first-ever conference. The participants would discuss issues related to the role, functions and capacity building of the Commissions.
The Commission also decided to ask the provincial police officers to issue directions to District Police Officers that no policemen in plain clothes be deputed to handle public order situations as the practice was adversely affecting the image of police thereby bringing bad name to the government. The Commission also decided to conduct a research survey to measure public perceptions of police.
As a first step, an expert shall be associated to assist the Commission in preparing questionnaires and working out the budgetary estimates for the exercise. The Commission formed a sub-committee to finalise the draft Annual Report of the Commission within two weeks.
The Commission also discussed the long delay in establishment of Federal Police Complaints Authority (FPCA) and requested the Interior Ministry to take up this important issue with the appropriate authorities.
Dr Shoaib Suddle, Secretary, National Public Safety Commission briefed the meeting on implementation status of e-policing initiatives and capacity building projects including Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), Police Record and Office Management Information System (PROMIS), Establishment of Nation-wide Integrated Trunk Radio System (NITRS), Establishment of National Forensic Science Agency (NFSA), Conversion of B-Area into A-Area and raising of Balochistan Constabulary.
He informed the Commission that Phase-I of AFIS project extending to 52 districts of Pakistan was completed and ready for inauguration by the Prime Minister in mid December, 2007. The NPSC members who attended the meeting included Lieutenant General Moinuddin Haider (retd), Muhammad Abbas Khan, Sikandar Hayat Jamali, Dr Sabiha Hassan Syed and Sarkar Abbas. Dr Muhammad Shoaib Suddle, Secretary National Public Safety Commission, was also present on the occasion.