PESHAWAR -- An annual publication by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police is describing that provincial police force's valiant fight against terrorism.
Since 2001, when war broke out in Afghanistan, KP has been a front-line province in Pakistan's own fight against terrorism.
The KP Central Police Office in May published its annual, "Policing with Passion," to inform the public about the KP Police's more-than-decade-long battle with intensified terrorism.
The book shows how "the KP Police have bravely faced the challenge of countering terrorism and improved its capacity", the KP Police said in a statement in May.
The KP Police have lost 1,204 officers since 2006 but have never wavered in confronting terrorists.
Meanwhile, to build up capacity, they opened six state-of-the-art training institutes in two and a half years, starting in September 2013. Officers learn the latest methods of investigation, intelligence, explosive handling and other aspects of police work.
"The book is meant to create awareness of the challenges confronting the province and its police force, its bravery in responding to challenges promptly, and the progress made by the police department under various reforms," KP Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani said in his comments within the book.
The KP Police have been resilient and courageous in the face of challenging times, Durrani said in his contribution to the book.
Praise for KP Police
Observers credit the KP Police for keeping up with the times in working to strengthen its human resources.
"The KP Police have set an unprecedented example for other police leadership ... in fighting terrorism and introducing reforms," Peshawar-based Fasihuddin (who goes by one name), president of the Pakistan Society of Criminology, told Pakistan Forward.
The book reminds its readers of the KP Police's many thrilling moments in fighting terrorism, he said.
"It's generally said that excellence comes in millimeters," Fasihuddin said. "But the KP Police have many laurels of excellence."
The book cites the KP Police's various reforms so that readers, researchers and policy-makers can have a debate about them, he said, adding that such openness will improve the KP Police.
"The book ... also points out shortfalls faced by the police force," Peshawar-based security and militancy journalist Shamim Shahid told Pakistan Forward.
Readers learn about the steps Durrani took to reform the force, raise its capacities and make it answerable to the public, Shahid said.
The book "is a worthy endeavour", Peshawar-based police official and newspaper columnist Muhammad Ali Babakhel told Pakistan Forward. "Public relations .. help develop public confidence."
He urged the KP Police to ensure that a wide audience, including lawmakers, judges, scholars, journalists and human rights activists, read the book.
Brig. (ret.) Mehmood Shah of Peshawar, a security analyst and former security secretary for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, had high praise for the volume too.
"The people should know the sacrifices and bravery of our police force in fighting terrorism," Shah told Pakistan Forward.
Encouraging public opinion will result in valuable suggestions for improving the police, Shah said.
The KP Police have to keep upgrading themselves because terrorists are always adopting new skills and methods, Shah warned.