News
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
US to provide $110m as law enforcement, counter-narcotics aid* Assistance will also help improve prosecutors, police skills
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter and Ministry of Finance Economic Affairs Division Secretary Waqar Masood signed a letter of agreement between Pakistan and United States on Monday to continue US support for ongoing border security, law enforcement, judicial reform, and counter-narcotics activities with an additional $110 million in support for 2012.
“US assistance has helped improve the skills of hundreds of Pakistani prosecutors and police, provided protective equipment to thousands of police officers on the frontlines of fighting extremists, and constructed hundreds of kilometres of roads in previously isolated parts of the border provinces,” Munter said.
For more than 30 years, the United States has provided assistance to Pakistan as part of the Department of State’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement programme, he said. The programmes supported in the 2012 programme include law enforcement reforms and capacity building, training for 7,500 police personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh, as well as of female police from across the country; uniforms, protective equipment, vehicles, and communications equipment for 9,000 policemen.
The counter-narcotics efforts included poppy reduction and development of alternative crops, nationwide support for private and government drug treatment centres and anti-drug campaigns, he said.
The rule of law programme to support trial advocacy training for Pakistani prosecutors to strengthen judicial reforms, prosecutorial services, and counter-terrorism efforts, as well as to promote police and prosecutor collaboration also part of the assistance, he said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk