UNODC and the EU are promoting better cooperation on policing, levies and prosecutions in Balochistan

Quetta, 4 October 2024 – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with support from the European Union under its Deliver Justice Project, organized a final workshop on coordination between investigators on 4 October in Quetta and prosecutors. This initiative is part of broader efforts aimed at strengthening cooperation between law enforcement and prosecution services in Balochistan.

The workshop, attended by a cross-section of participants from Balochistan’s police, levies and prosecutions, addressed the key challenges hindering effective cooperation during criminal investigations and trials. Building on previous successful collaborations, the aim was to strengthen a joint platform where police investigators and prosecutors can work together seamlessly, ultimately leading to fairer and more efficient trials.

The highlight of the workshop was the approval of newly developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), designed to formalize coordination between police and revenue investigators and prosecutors prior to filing a challan. The SOPs provide a crucial framework to ensure that investigations are comprehensive and that cases are prepared with the highest standards of legal oversight, paving the way for smoother prosecution processes.

This workshop is the culmination of a series of training initiatives undertaken across the province over the past two years, including in Gwadar, Naseerabad and Quetta. Each of these efforts contributed to improving institutional cooperation as the concluding workshop marked a milestone in formalizing a sustainable partnership between the police, levies and prosecution services in Balochistan.

With the continued support of the European Union, UNODC remains committed to promoting a more effective and responsive criminal justice system in Balochistan, ensuring that law enforcement and prosecution go hand in hand to uphold the rule of law.