Striving for Safer, Just, and Peaceful Communities in Pakistan – UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director Kanni Wignaraja visits Police Training College Quetta

April 25, 2024

25 April 2024 – Quetta: Ms. Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, visited the Police Training College Quetta where the UNDP Pakistan Rule of Law Programme has increased the training and accommodation capacity for policewomen and -men through infrastructure development support. The project is one of the largest infrastructure development projects funded in Balochistan by the U.S. Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

Ms. Wignaraja alongside UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative, Dr. Samuel Rizk met with Commandant of the Police Training College Quetta, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ashfaq Alam Khan.

The training college expansion doubled the training capacity to 2000 officers and increased the living facilities' capacity from 600 to 1,500 officers, which includes dedicated accommodation facilities for 100 women officers. The project entailed the construction of seven new gender-responsive buildings including a multipurpose hall, two academic blocks, a women’s hostel, two student barracks, and a canteen as well as the refurbishment of a Health Care Unit, Parade Ground, and Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Room.

“Gender-responsive and women-friendly infrastructure is essential to enabling more women to avail themselves of learning opportunities in their careers. Supporting the Police Training College Quetta ensures that women police officers get equal opportunities to learn and flourish and will enrich the security sector of Balochistan. We are thankful to all our government and development partners for their commitment and partnership with UNDP to promote the rule of law and access to justice in Pakistan.” said Ms. Wignaraja. The project also included the installation of solar panels to provide uninterrupted renewable energy supply, and the provision of clean water.

DIG Ashfaq Alam Khan, stated, “The Police Training College Quetta Extension has provided much-needed training and living facilities for men and women officers. We are hopeful that this increased capacity will help the Balochistan Police to better serve and protect the people of Balochistan.” He also thanked the U.S. Embassy’s Office of INL and UNDP Pakistan for their partnership in creating a conducive learning environment for police officers in the province.

UNDP Pakistan’s Resident Representative, Samuel Rizk, emphasized that “The Police Training College Quetta provides an immersive experience for police officers to develop their academic and practical knowledge and progress in their careers. Being the only law enforcement training center in the province, the project offers a conducive learning environment for all security sector professionals in Balochistan.”

The UNDP Rule of Law Programme is implementing a range of interventions to strengthen security and justice sector governance in Pakistan.

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Contact Details:
For additional information, please contact Ramsha Nadeem at ramsha.nadeem@undp.org or +92 (51) 835 5679

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