Child rights on the agenda for Pakistani police

Police officers in Pakistan are to be taught about the rights of children in a new three-year project launched by Plan.

The project, supported by the European Commission, will train 5,000 police from the Islamabad Capital Territory Police, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education and the National Child Protection Centre. Through a series of workshops, the participants will be taught about human and child rights and gender-based violence. They will also discuss police ethics, democracy and non-violent methods of policing.

The project, entitled "Police Capacity Building on Democracy and Human Rights", has been designed to help the Islamabad police force understand, respect and protect human and child rights. Additionally, it will teach people how to apply international human and child rights standards in their day-to-day work and life.

Working together to protect citizens

Speaking at the launch of the project, Haider Waseem Yaqub, Plan Pakistan’s country director, said: "It is indeed an honor for Plan to be supported by the European Commission to undertake such a great task of helping to implement human and child rights in the Islamabad Capital Territory."

"This is a step in the right direction. If a country is able to protect the rights of its citizen then nothing can hold back the development and progress it wants to make".

Syed Kaleem Imam, Inspector General of Police Islamabad, commended this intervention by the European Commission and Plan: "Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies are full of brave men and women, but in order to protect the people of this nation, we need support and cooperation from Plan too, after all it is a question of protecting our brothers, sisters, children and families."

If the project is a success, it could be rolled out to police forces all over the country.

Find out more about Plan's work in Pakistan