ISLAMABAD: The Saeedabad Police Training College in Karachi received over Rs377 million ($2.7 million) worth of firearms simulators on Wednesday to improve the capacity of the institution and increase its ability to dispense safe and proper firearms training to police personnel.
According to an official handout issued by the Sindh Police, the donation came from the US Mission in Pakistan.
"The US government has collaborated with Sindh Police since 2012, providing more than $25 million worth of equipment and helping train over 50,000 of its officers," read the handout.
Addressing the ceremony, US Consul General JoAnne Wagner explained the reasons for her country’s continued support to the law enforcing agency, saying: “The United States provides assistance to Sindh because we recognize that its police serve on the front lines of Pakistan’s efforts to combat violent extremism and build a more secure, stable, and democratic society.”
While Pakistan’s southeastern province of Sindh has not witnessed as much volatility as its two other federating units bordering Afghanistan and Iran, its most important urban center, Karachi, suffered decades of ethnic violence and was also targeted in recent years by a number of radical religious outfits.
The country launched a highly effective operation against such elements under the supervision of Rangers, a paramilitary force. Yet, this was done since the province’s police force was thought to be underfunded, deeply politicized, and largely incapable of carrying out complex operations against terrorist networks.
The Sindh Police also faced some embarrassment when one of its most high-profile officers was found involved in the extrajudicial killing of a youthful Pashtun who wanted to become a model but was murdered in cold blood after being declared a terrorist. The officer, who faced an inquiry, absconded and even made a botched attempt to fly out of the country.
In the face of such challenges, the high-ups of the force have been striving to make their department more functional and viable. They have received the assistance of US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs that is also working in more than 90 countries to help them combat crime and corruption, counter drug-related offences, improve police institutions, and promote laws and court systems that are fair and accountable.
