December 5, 2001	Wednesday	Ramazan 19, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 4: The government is acquiring a loan of $350 million (Rs21 billion) from the Asian Development Bank on commercial rates for introducing reforms in the judicial and police systems, sources told Dawn.

The team that negotiated for the ADB loan in Manila was led by the minister for law and justice Shahida Jameel. It is expected to be signed soon.

The loan, being acquired under the “Access to Justice” package, has three components; judicial reforms, police reforms, and prosecution reforms.

According to sources the ADB loan was being offered on commercial rates. But an interior ministry spokesman rejected this notion and clarifies that the interest would be less than one per cent.

Ministries of interior and law have constituted a committee comprising secretaries of the two ministries, provincial finance secretaries, home secretaries and some other official to chart a plan for the utilization of the loan amount.

An amount of $20 million (Rs1.2 billion) has already been earmarked for technical assistance, which included, training of police official abroad, and hiring of foreign experts.

In the previous budget the government allocated Rs1.9 billion for police reforms as against the interior ministry’s request for Rs95 billion.

The police also intends to acquiring new equipment, set up forensic laboratories, and strength the system of investigation.

The amount meant judicial reforms would be $150 million dollars.