NPB determined to reform, reshape police

Islamabad : National Police Bureau (NPB) is determined to reform and reshape police in Pakistan to make it inclusive responsive and accountable. One of the major initiatives to this and is establishment of National Gender Responsive Unit in the NPB, says a press release.

The unit will spearhead efforts to actively coordinate with various stakeholders, including police organisations, ministries, and international bodies, to ensure a seamless and effective execution of gender-responsive policing strategies. The Unit will conduct a comprehensive review of existing policies, legal frameworks, and organisational structures, formulate guidelines to address the unique challenges faced by female police officers, covering logistics, promotions, work environments, incentives, and gender-responsive budgeting.

Dr Ehsan Sadiq was speaking in the closing session of two days National Conference on Women in Policing organised by National Police Bureau in collaboration with UN Women. The conference was attended by the senior leadership from all law enforcement agencies, female police officers, legal fraternity, government ministries representatives, parliamentarians, diplomatic community, international organisations, civil society, media, academia and under-training ASPs from the National Police Academy in Islamabad, consisted of a special working session to discuss and deliberate on recommendations to formulate a National Gender Responsive Policing Framework.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Ehsan Sadiq, Director General of National Police Bureau, said: “As we jointly organize this conference, the National Police Bureau recognizes the imperative of gender parity in the realm of law enforcement. By bringing this issue to the forefront, we aim to cultivate respect, empathy, and professionalism among our officers while highlighting the remarkable contributions of women officers.” He further said, “The concept of gender-responsive policing is not only about integrating women into law enforcement; it’s about transforming the entire system to address the unique needs and concerns of all citizens. Sharmeela Rassool, UN Women Country Representative, in her closing remarks, said, “This conference represents a significant milestone in our journey toward inclusive policing.”

Sultan Ali Khowaja, Inspector General of Police NH&MP, who was the chief guest for today’s session, commended the participants for coming up with innovative policy suggestions to advance gender responsive policing in Pakistan. Charting out future steps in his address, he urged for the creation of a “permanent think tank which has members from all sections of society, including academia and working professionals, to discuss and ensure implementation of policy reforms”.