Islamabad: Two state-of-the-art police stations have been inaugurated in each of the merged districts of Mohmand and Orakzai in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The inauguration ceremony took place in Islamabad on June 6 and was attended by representatives from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan, and the Government of Japan. The primary goal of these newly established police centers is to enhance law enforcement services in the region. Three more model police stations are set to be established in Bajaur, North Waziristan, and Kurram to further strengthen security services in the merged districts.
The new police stations in Kalaya in Orakzai District and Ghalanai in Mohmand District offer a wide range of modern facilities to better service the local population. These facilities include a dedicated gender-responsive desk to address crimes related to gender-based violence, a meeting hall to facilitate joint community and police gatherings, an investigation room, an office for station house officers, separate holding rooms for men and women, security posts, and lodging for 55 police personnel.
Better services for citizens in KP districts
Akhtar Hayat Khan, the Inspector General of KP Police, praised the partnership between the KP Police, UNDP Pakistan, and the Government of Japan, which led to the establishment of these modernized police stations in the far-off region.
He said that the initiative would help strengthen the rule of law and provide better services to the citizens of these districts that were merged with KP province in 2018. IG Khan added that these facilities “will ensure that the police can respond to the needs and grievances of the people in a timely and effective manner.” He expressed hope that these police stations will serve as an example for other police stations across the country.
Move to strengthen security and rule of law in KP
Highlighting the significance of this milestone, the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Wada Mitsuhiro, said that supporting security and justice sector institutions is important to provide people-oriented and gender-responsive services, especially in the merged tribal districts. He said that the launch of state-of-the-art police stations in Mohmand and Orakzai is a crucial step toward maintaining the rule of law in KP province.
Aliona Niculita, the Officer In-Charge of UNDP Pakistan, emphasized the role of model police stations and the training provided to former Levies (paramilitary force) and Khasadars (local security force) integrated into KP in enhancing the formal policing, security services, and access to justice in the region for all and particularly the marginalized groups and women, in the merged districts.
The UNDP Pakistan Rule of Law Programme has implemented several interventions to strengthen security and justice sector governance in Pakistan as part of the project supported by the Japanese government. In 2022, more than 250 former Levies/Khasadar personnel were trained to deliver professional and people-friendly police services. In the same year, the programme developed and launched the first-ever policing plans for the seven merged districts with the aim of restoring people-centered, accountable, and responsive policing in the region.
