KP Police launch communication project at University of Peshawar

PESHAWAR -- The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police have set up a direct line of communication between police and students and faculty at the University of Peshawar (UoP) in a bid to improve security and service delivery to the campus.

"We have launched the Police Assistance Lines (PAL) on December 4, fulfilling the promise made with the youth of Peshawar, on the premises of the University of Peshawar, mainly for the students, teachers and residents," Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Qazi Jamil ur Rehman told Pakistan Forward.

The PAL will help issue clearance certificates. The documents, issued by the police to certify that bearers have no criminal record and have good moral character, are used for foreign travel and scholarships. Meanwhile, the PAL will enable students to report missing documents or request assistance.

"We talked to many people," said Rehman of the response to the PAL. "Both the youth and the faculty termed the issuance of clearance certificates for foreign scholarships a great step by the police force."

"We have also launched a dedicated Mobile Traffic Unit for issuing computerised driver's licences such police clearance certificates, an official document issued by the police to certify that the applicant has no criminal offenses, are used for foreign visits and scholarships to the students and others on campus," he noted.

About 300,000 students, teachers and Peshawar residents will benefit from the computerised driving licences and PAL, he said.

"These facilities in UoP will be upgraded, the temporary structure will be replaced by a permanent building and more educated male and female police staff will be deployed," he explained.

Supporting students, faculty

The PAL represents the second such installation in Peshawar after workers emplaced the first communication lines adjacent to the West Cantt police station in the city.

In addition to UoP, the PAL will also serve Islamia College University, the University of Engineering and Technology, Khyber Medical University and the Agricultural University, all of which are situated nearby.

"The PAL will facilitate thousands of students and faculty in a great way," Dr. Noshad Khan, pro-vice chancellor of Islamia College Peshawar, told Pakistan Forward.

"We thank the Peshawar Police for this great contribution," he said.

"It was not easy for many students to get their police clearance certificates because you had to visit many KP Police offices for that single document," said Qaisar Khan, a student in the Mass Communication Department at UoP.

The students will now easily obtain the required document from the PAL on campus, he noted.

"There should be more male and female police officers deployed at the PAL to quickly process any application or police clearance certificates," Khan added.

"The new police facility is good for the big campus, where tens of thousands of students are studying and living," Yasir Khan, a student of a college attached with Agricultural University, told Pakistan Forward.

Now many motorists will easily obtain their driver's licences, he said.

Acquiring the police clearance certificates and driver's licences "has been made really easy by PAL and the mobile unit of the traffic police", he said.