KARACHI, July 27: Interior minister Moinuddin Haider has said that the greatest threat to the security of the country and wellbeing of the people is from the religious extremists who are a great challenge to the law enforcement agencies.

Speaking at a seminar titled ‘Policing Sindh Through Ages & Role of Police In 21st Century’ on Saturday, he said the police were being trained and equipped with the latest gadgets and laboratories for detecting crimes were being set up with the help of the US which had committed $100 million for police reforms.

The interior minister was speaking as chief guest at the second and concluding session of the seminar organised by the Sindh police in collaboration with the Historical, Educational and Cultural Society here at a local hotel.

The minister said there were splinter groups indulging in acts of terrorism. “They must know that they are not serving Islam, but bringing a bad name to Pakistan.”

He said the new police act would ensure that the police become more people-friendly. He sought to dispel the fear that after the new police act, the police would become more coercive.

“I assure the people that we will take care and monitor their performance to ensure that their attitude is people-friendly.” said the interior minister. He said the Sindh CPLC type offices would be set up in all the districts of the country.

Earlier, federal minister for environment, Barrister Shahida Jameel, addressing the first session of the seminar, stressed the need to gain expertise in preserving and analysing forensic evidence by the police.

The law minister observed that “the practice of crime scene preservation is totally non-existent and people are seen freely moving at the place of the incident destroying the evidence underneath their feet”.

Referring to the training of the police officials, the minister said that during her visit to one of the police training schools she had noted that the curriculum put stress on promotions rather than on investigation and gaining forensic expertise. The minister expressed her dismay over the fact that there were no budgetary allocations for the forensic system.

“Unfortunately, the criminal world has become advanced with the changing times”, she remarked. Expressing optimism, she said that technical assistance required for the capacity building of the police was expected from Japan and the Asian Development Bank.

“Countries like France and the United States are also coming forward to extend technical assistance required to further develop the police force on modern lines,” the minister added.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the seminar, Sindh minister for finance, planning and development, Dr Hafeez Shaikh urged the police force to learn lessons from the experience of the past and the present to improve its efficiency and to be transparent, fair and responsive to the public. Dr Hafeez also spoke on the government efforts aimed at reforming the police system. He said there was still a lot that had to be done.

Aftab Nabi, deputy director general Anti-Narcotic Force and former IGP Sindh , in his keynote address, dwelt on the history of police in the province from 1843 to 1943. He has done his doctorate on the subject.

He said that Sindh was the first area in the subcontinent to have police force. The police force in Sindh was established in line with the Royal Irish Constabulary which was a paramilitary force to contain unrest and maintain law & order. Sir Charles Napier, who had served in the Royal Irish Constabulary and was influenced by it, set up a police force here after conquering Sindh.

“Officers of the Sindh police force were all serving army officers and non of the gazetted officers were appointed from the locals; the recruitments at the lower level were also made from the Punjab, UP and CP and the Pathans residing in Shikarpur”, he said, adding that corruption at the lower ranks was rampant as they were outsiders. He referred in this regard to a report on cattle-lifting compiled in 1919. He further said the colonial police officers had no trust in the local people in the police who were never promoted to the officer level.

IG police Balochistan, Dr Shoaib Suddle, said that it was for the first time that any government was giving serious thought to bringing reforms in the police department and expressed the hope that the new police act will be promulgated very soon.

Capital city police officer Asad Jehangir presented the welcome address. He said: “As part of the crime deterring strategy we are now planning to target the people who use and buy stolen property like vehicles”.

DIG police traffic Saud Ahmed Mirza also spoke, during the inaugural session, on the aims and objective of the seminar. The first working session was devoted to “Policing and Nature of Crime in Pre-British and British Era”. Noted scholar Dr Hameeda Khuhro presided over the session. Research scholars Dr Nabi Bux Baloch, M.H.Panhwar and Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui, chief instructor Nipa Mr Mohsin Manzoor and others presented their papers.