Police Organisations in Pakistan - Commonwealth Human Rights ...

The Order, like its predecessor, places the superintendence of provincial policeestablishments in the hands of provincial governments. 9 Since law and orderissues are better dealt with at the local level, policing is therefore a provincialresponsibility. There is a general understanding and consensus that policelegislation is a provincial subject and it is at the provincial level that legislationon police needs to be passed. This explains why the entire budget of provincialpolice establishments is borne by the provinces.1.2 Federal Police OrganisationsModern police may be described as an organised body of personnel assigned topreserve good order and prevent and detect crime. The quasi-federal characterof the Pakistani state envisages a coordinating and counselling role 10 for thefederal government in policing matters and even authorises it to set up certainpolice organisations. 11 At present, there are several institutions performing thesetasks at the federal level:Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF)Frontier ConstabularyFrontier CorpsPakistan Coast GuardsPakistan RangersNational Highways and Motorways Police (NHMP)Pakistan Railways PoliceIslamabad Police, Islamabad Capital TerritoryThe agencies established at the federal level have cross-provincial jurisdictionthroughout Pakistan over matters and offences concerning the federalgovernment as listed in the Federal Legislative List, read with Article 142 of theConstitution. These agencies are of relatively recent origins compared to theprovincial police establishments. For instance, the ANF was established underthe Anti-Narcotics Force Act, 1997 and controls trafficking of narcotic substances.The NHMP was established in 1997 and regulates traffic on the roads designatedas national highways and motorways. Similarly, offences against the interests of9