The US government has handed over more than 1,000 bullet-proof vests and helmets worth around $750,000 to the Sindh Police Department under an ongoing police assistance programme.
The equipments were given to the law enforcement agency during a ceremony presided over by US Consul General in Karachi William Martin along with Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mushtaq Shah at the Central Police Office.
Also present at the event was Brian Nichols, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Narcotics and International Law Enforcement in Washington DC, who later signed a memorandum of understanding with the IGP to ensure further assistance in the future.
The agreement indicated that the support, valued at over one million dollars, is being extended to the Sindh police as means to enhance their capacity in maintaining law and order.
Speaking on the occasion, the US consul general said that the US hopes the local police can better meet the extraordinary challenges in Karachi through better equipment and modern training. “Pakistanis and Americans alike want the same thing; safety, order and a better life for all citizens,” he said.
The US government assists the Sindh police in developing a training curriculum for junior officers, supporting women police in remote regions of the province and providing equipment to improve the safety of personnel and effectiveness of policing.