ISLAMABAD: The United States Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, on Tuesday, said that his country is proud of its partnership with Pakistan and it will continue to further strengthen community policing that provides the security environment needed to ensure peace, progress, and prosperity for the Pakistani people.
The US ambassador was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Balochistan Police Training College here – a four-year, $ 5.35 million partnership funded by the US Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Section.
“I would underscore that all the work our countries do together – on trade, investment, clean energy, education, and climate change – is predicated on a solid foundation of security and rule of law. We are proud of this partnership,” he said in his address.
He added that it is making demonstrable progress in strengthening Pakistan’s ability to protect and secure its borders and provide safety and security for its citizens.
“And we will continue to stand with you as you work to further strengthen community policing that provides the security environment needed to ensure peace, progress, and prosperity for the Pakistani people,” the ambassador stated.
He said that the seven new and four renovated buildings of the police training college not only triple the college’s capacity, but they also ensure new recruits and officers will receive the high-quality, skills-based training they need to deploy in some of Pakistan’s most challenging areas.
With the completion of this new facility, he added that the men and women trained at PTC Quetta will be far better prepared than their predecessors to address the tremendous risks and challenges they face every day in the line of duty.
“In addition, we have scheduled delivery of $900,000 worth of radio communication equipment and 35 mine detectors, and recently provided $ 700,000 worth of vehicles and $ 195,000 worth of blast suppression equipment, all of which will greatly enhance operations and security across the province,” he said.
Beyond this training centre, he added that the US has helped Pakistan secure its borders, fight narcotics trafficking, and combat terrorism. “INL [International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs] has provided lifesaving protective equipment, improved law enforcement training curriculum, built and upgraded police stations, and helped ensure gender-inclusive policing. Taken together, these actions make Pakistan safer, stronger, and more secure,” he added.
He also recognised the special effort to recruit more women police, create gender desks in police stations, and increase facilities to serve women and underserved communities. He added that last year, Balochistan Police officer Zarghoona Manzoor was recognised for a worldwide leadership award at an international conference for women police.
Zarghoona, formerly a stay-at-home mother, joined the force after her husband was killed serving in the Balochistan Police and she now leads Balochistan’s first women’s police station.
“Women officers like Zarghoona improve the entire force’s operational effectiveness and efficiency and enhance the quality of service offered to all Pakistanis, especially those from underrepresented communities. I am impressed by Balochistan’s success in attracting almost 20 per cent women in a recent recruiting drive, and the number of policewomen in service has doubled since 2022,” Ambassador Blome added.
He said that the PTC-Quetta’s new facilities for women police recruits will enable further progress toward realising this vision.
“We are committed to working with Pakistan to address the economic, environmental, and energy challenges of our time,” he said.
He also stated that the INL funded the solarisation of seven of PTC Quetta’s buildings, as well as the solar-powered lights on walkways inside campus, and on the campus’ boundary wall, which align with the broader efforts through the US-Pakistan Green Alliance Framework to promote clean, renewable energy, and climate resilience.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024