UNDP, INL and the Excise, Taxation and Anti-Narcotics Department of Balochistan launch a new project

July 28, 2022

 

Islamabad, 28 July 2022 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the U.S. Embassy Islamabad’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the Excise, Taxation and Anti-Narcotics Department of Balochistan (ETAN-B) launched a new project “Strengthening Capacity of Excise, Taxation and Anti-Narcotics Balochistan (ETAN-B)” in Islamabad today.

The project focuses on the design and delivery of specialized training courses to ETAN-B officials to further improve their skills and expertise on drugs and prohibited substance control in Balochistan. Under this initiative, UNDP will design and deliver four specialized training courses and comprehensive training of trainers programme to ETAN-B personnel including its senior management. The two-year project will be implemented jointly by UNDP and ETAN-B, with funding from INL.

At the launch event, Secretary ETAN-B, Dr Muhammad Aslam thanked UNDP and U.S. - INL for their support and the valued partnership with ETAN-B to build stronger and highly professional law enforcement services in Pakistan. He further underlined, “INL and UNDP are trusted partners of ETAN-B and have been supporting several infrastructure development and capacity building projects in Pakistan. These projects have contributed significantly to counter-narcotics law enforcement efforts.”

INL Director, Ms Lori Antolinez congratulated UNDP and ETAN-B on this important initiative and remarked, “The launch event today demonstrates the long-term partnership between the U.S. Government and Pakistan. This year, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of our partnership with Pakistan under the banner of ‘Justice, Security, and Prosperity.’” Ms Antolinez also appreciated UNDP for its tireless efforts and declared the project to be an important milestone in INL, ETAN-B and UNDP collaboration to strengthen law enforcement forces in Balochistan.  

 

 

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Knut Ostby, Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan shared, “UNDP and INL have been working on several projects to strengthen law enforcement services in Pakistan—including the provision of infrastructure development support to build the Joint Police Training Center in Nowshera, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prosecution Academy in Peshawar, the Anti-Narcotics Force Academy in Islamabad, and the Police Training Center in Quetta. I am optimistic that these joint initiatives are contributing to strengthening the rule of law and service delivery to the people of Pakistan. Similarly, the trainings with ETAN-B personnel under this project will also strengthen counternarcotics law enforcement in Balochistan for a drug-free province.”

This project is implemented under UNDP’s Rule of Law Programme that works to strengthen security and justice sector governance in partnership with a range of national and international partners across Pakistan. 

For additional information, please contact Ayesha Babar at ayesha.babar@undp.org  or +92 (51) 835 5650

 

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