A donation of $150,000 in computers, furniture and other office equipment has been provided by US Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero to the Sindh Prosecutor Office in a ceremony held during Otero’s participation in a five-day seminar “Case Preparation and Trial Advocacy Skills” for 35 Sindh prosecutors. The equipment would be placed in all 60 Sindh prosecutor district offices. The seminar is the fourth such trial skills seminar held by the US Department of Justice and the US Embassy’s Office of Narcotics Affairs for Sindh prosecutors.
Otero commended the prosecutors for their efforts, noting that the Prosecutor’s Office could become a model organisation for Pakistan.
Prosecutor General Malik Shahadat Awan thanked Otero for the US government’s support. Awan also thanked the US for sending nine Sindh prosecutors on out-of-country study tours to attend specialised courses in combating money laundering, counter-terrorism and trial advocacy.
The US government’s Sindh prosecutors’ training programme seeks to provide the prosecutors with the necessary knowledge and capacity to screen, analyse and handle cases from their inception to the verdict. By improving case preparation and presentation, Sindh’s prosecutors seek to increase the number of criminal convictions in the province.
Later, during her first visit to Karachi, Otero held a lunch and discussion with many of Pakistan’s bloggers on the role of the social media in responding to Pakistan’s challenges.
On the occasion, Consul General William Martin; bloggers Dr Awab Alvi, Ross Mahtani, Aamir Raz, Farrukh Ahmed, Farieha Aziz, Sabin Agha, Sajid Baluch, Muhammad Aly Balagawala, Abira Shafaq, Moneeza Ahmed and Fariha Akhtar Mangi; Express Tribune Web Editor Jahanzeb Haq; and US Consulate Karachi Office of Public Affairs Information Specialist Mushtaque Rajpar were also present.
