KARACHI: The US consul general in Karachi, Brian Heath, on Thursday said his government’s key focus to help Pakistan was on education for which the United States was providing opportunities to Pakistani graduates extensively.

Speaking to students and faculty members of the Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) during his visit to the campus, Mr Heath said that the US offered huge opportunities to Pakistani students to get education in its best universities through scholarships.

“There are many programmes for students of Pakistan, but they have to pass Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and fulfil other academic requirements,” he said.

The US diplomat said the SMIU was one of the oldest educational institutions of South Asia that had played an important role in transforming society through modern education.

He said Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was also an alumni of the Sindh Madressatul Islam that enhanced its prestige.

“Pakistan and the US are long-term friends and allies of each other,” he said, adding that the US was trying to build domestic capacity of Pakistan.

The US consul general said that they had also been working with the Sindh government since 2011 and providing it financial support for educational development in the province. He was of the view that a country could be developed only through education.

Earlier, Dr Mohammed Ali Shaikh, vice chancellor of the SMIU, welcomed the guest.

Carriers for Sindh police

Mr Heath and officials of the US department of state’s bureau of international narcotics and law enforcement affairs (INL) on Thursday transferred four carriers to the Sindh police.

Sindh Police IG Ghulam Haider Jamali and INL attaché Brooke de Montluzin were present at the handover.

Officials said this was the second instalment of vehicles, specifically for Sindh female police officers.

The troop carriers valued at $126,000 “will improve mobility and officer safety”.

A statement by the US mission in Karachi said since 2011, the INL police assistance programme had provided $36 million in assistance to the Sindh police.

This includes armoured personnel carriers, pickup trucks, forensic equipment, bulletproof jackets and helmets, thermal imaging devices, and global positioning systems (GPS).

In addition, it added, the INL also assisted the Sindh police with

curriculum development including specialised skills such as investigations, human rights, officer safety, and forensics.

The INL assistance equipped three women police stations in Karachi, supplying communications equipment, personal protective gear, first aid kits, coaster buses, vans, and pickup trucks, it added.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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