Pakistan's Law Enforcement Agencies -- Harnessing their Potential to Combat Terrorism

Abstract

In the aftermath of 9/11, the United States embarked upon a massive global hunt for terrorists and launched "Operation Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan. Owing to its geographical proximity to Afghanistan, Pakistan emerged as an ally of the United States in its war against terrorism. Terrorists, having been evicted from Kabul, found the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan an idyllic sanctuary to promote future terrorism. During this period, terrorists extended their activities to other parts of Pakistan. At various stages, Pakistan's Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), Federal and Provincial police, Frontier Constabulary, Levies, Frontier Corps, and Rangers were dovetailed into Pakistani Army operations against terrorists, but their ability to maintain security in their respective areas of responsibility has been questionable. They had neither conducted such operations anywhere in the past, nor were they sufficiently trained and equipped to produce a matching response to the terrorists' inventive and innovative techniques. Notwithstanding the sacrifices of troops employed against terrorists in Pakistan, it is extremely important to objectively review the LEAs' demonstrated training skills and combat worthiness in the country's ongoing counterterrorism campaign. This research focuses on appraising the existing infrastructure of Pakistan's LEAs and their potential to combat the menace of terrorism. Since Pakistan is currently fighting terrorism with the Army in a lead role, the thesis will emphasize the importance of enhancing the capabilities of LEAs other than the military to forestall, prevent, and effectively counter terrorists. The LEAs of Pakistan are a linchpin in the maintenance of law and order in the country, and their restructuring, training, and funding ought to be a priority for the Pakistani government. The authors include recommendations for upgrading the LEAs in Pakistan.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA494469

Entities

People

  • Dilawar Khan

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Cyber
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Antiterrorism
  • Communication Systems
  • Department Of State
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Interagency Coordination
  • International Organizations
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Societies
  • Students
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security
  • Strategic Security Studies