Pakistan receives 11 armoured vehicles worth Rs280m from US

ISLAMABAD - The US government has provided as many as 11 armoured personnel vehicles (APVs) to Pakistan in order to further strengthen the law enforcement agencies of the country.

These vehicles, provided by United States Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) section, were handed over to Pakistani authorities by acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Ranz during a ceremony held at Islamabad Police Lines on Wednesday.

The APVs will be given to Islamabad Capital Territory police, the Frontier Constabulary, and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police that will help in country’s fight against terrorism.

Speaking on the occasion, Ranz said: “Pakistani police make sacrifices every day to keep their communities safe. Both in the United States and Pakistan, we depend on the police to protect our people, and we will continue to stand together with the people of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and in our commitment to security and rule of law in Pakistan.”

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal while speaking at the ceremony thanked the US government for providing advance equipment to the forces. He added that the performance of the police will improve with these latest equipment.

Local media quoted Iqbal as saying “The role and duties of LEAs are pivotal for stability and socio-economic advancement of the country. Pakistan desires broader and comprehensive partnership with the United States, beyond security and particularly in the education sector. We have to work together and show greater understanding”.

The armoured vehicles are essential for strengthening the operational capacity of police and protecting the officers, who fight against militants, drug peddlers and other miscreants.

According to the National Police Bureau, almost 6,500 police have lost their lives in the line of duty in Pakistan.