For Immediate Release: July, 26, 2019

Islamabad – Noble policing involves respecting human rights and upholding the rule of law and requires that the police as an integral part of the criminal justice system respects and upholds the rights and liberty of individuals. Today, we live in a democratic country, and the police being a vital component of the state need to operate according to democratic norms. SACH – Struggle for Change, an Islamabad-based NGO presented a Theatre for Development in Regional Police Training School, Malakand Swat (KP) in collaboration with The European Union as part of its interventions in an EIDHR projecton Sunday, 28th of July 2019.The venue of the theatre was Police Training School, Swat. The theme of the play was based on Fundamental Human Rights which included acts on effective policing and FIR, torture and its effects, physical and judicial remand and police –public relationship. The intervention has been aimed to guide police force in performance of their duties while observing and protecting human rights and managing the stress encountered as a result of professional duties.The audience included police officers from different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwah. SACH sensitized around 400 police officers on issues pertaining to existence of torture and persuaded them to adopt ways of effective and honest policing to establish a torture free society. The performance was designed to be interactive that enabled mutual information sharing between performers and practitioners regarding experiences and problems faced during law enforcement, providing guidance to the followers and people to come.

At the end of the theatre, SACH presented shields to Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Tanoli (Director PTS) and Mr. Kaleem Ullah (Admin officer - RTT) for their support.

Ms. Khalida Salimi, Executive Director – SACH, stated her resolve that the Government should be reminded that no exceptions whatsoever may be supplicated to justify acts of torture by state authorities. The bar against torture applies universally, including in the context of fighting terrorism, and the UN Convention against Torture is one of the most important and binding human rights instrument to minimize and eradicate torture practices in Pakistan. Shecommitted that SACH will keep rallying all means to protect everyone who has ever been, or continue to be exposed to this repugnant human rights violation and stand by all those who very courageously engage against this crime through awareness raising or support to victims.SACH is extremely grateful to the authorities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwah Police for sparing the participants for the much needed exposure