MINGORA: The community police will begin operations in three districts of Malakand division, including Swat, Lower Dir and Buner, in August.

Deputy inspector general of police, Malakand division Abdullah Khan said this during a meeting with members of the Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment’s Community Policing Forum here in his office on Thursday.

The DIG said he was confident that the community policing would help end ‘thana culture’ and resolve the people’s problems effectively.

He said under the UNDP-sponsored ‘strengthening rule of law programme for Malakand division (SRLPM)’, the DTCE had successfully completed the pilot project of community policing in Swat, Lower Dir and Buner.

Mr Abdullah said the SRLPM was meant to bring the people and the police close for effective resolution of the people’s problems through community participation.

He said it was encouraging to see that the SRLPM targets had been achieved and that the DTCE had executed the pilot project within the given timeframe and that too effectively.

“I hope the project will be extended to other parts of Malakand division,” he said.

The DIG said it was necessary for the Community Policing Forum coordinators to strengthen their role in building trust and coordination between the police and community.

He said the government was committed to changing the old ‘thana culture’ and introducing the community-friendly police.

Mr Abdullah said the project activities like Open Public Forum and Public Engagement Activities were fruitful for both the people and police.

DTCE field manager Rohullah Khan and district coordinator Taimur Khan informed the DIG and other participants about the project’s objectives, targets and achievements.

They said the primary objective of the community policing project was to help overcome the trust deficit between the community and the police.

Also in the day, the Saidu Medical College students and doctors on Thursday demonstrated outside the Swat Press Club against the Khyber Medical University, Peshawar administration over high fees.

Holding placards and banners, the protesters shouted slogans against the KMU administration. They later held a news conference complaining about heavy fees and policy of KMU students of government medical colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The protesters demanded reduction in fees.

They also called for preference to the students of government medical colleges in government jobs.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2014