Police being trained by US experts
By Shahnawaz Khan: Daily Times, October 6, 2006
LAHORE: Robert Clark, the United States (US) Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) programme manager, met Punjab Police Inspector General (IG) Ziaul Hassan Khan on Thursday at Central Police Office (CPO), Lahore.
Sources said that they discussed anti-terrorism programmes including training of Punjab police officers by American experts in combating terrorism. Clark assured the IG of complete US cooperation in providing the latest training to Pakistani officers in weapons, equipment, services and special techniques developed by the US to help foreign governments prevent and deal with terrorist acts such as bombing, kidnapping, assassination, hostage-taking and hijacking. Earlier, on March 28, 2003, the Pakistani and US governments had agreed to increase cooperation in these matters and hence, the subsequent trips to Pakistan by US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Francis Taylor.
Following the process, the first batch of Punjab police officers had graduated on August 18, 2006 from the Police Training College (PTC), Sihala. All the graduates were trained to international standards and following latest theories and strategies on tracing and deactivating explosives.
Sources said that in the next phase, ATA officials would train local police officers in forensic investigation, preservation of crime scenes and the use of latest technology in investigation. Senior investigators who wished to remain unnamed said that earlier, senior officers of the Elite Police Force (EPF) were sent to the US for special professional expertise courses. They said that a few EPF junior officials had gone in hiding, but were later traced and nabbed by US forces and deported to Pakistan.
Officials said that it was because of such reasons that junior officials were no longer sent for foreign training and that the ATA processes would help such officials to train in Pakistan.
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