KHANEWAL  -   Police Department has, no doubt, received many gallantry awards because its officials not only rendered sacrifices in the line of duty, but they also conducted successful operations against terrorists and anti-state elements.

But one more aspect is standing victorious at international level. International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), with its headquarters in USA, is the body which recognises the police leaders over the globe.

It is the world's largest and the most influential professional association which enrols only those young police officers who are essentially aged below 40 years and have prima facie role in law enforcement and community services in their respective countries. The IACP selects, on the basis of performance officially received from the respective countries in favour of the member, only top 40 police officers from the total enrolled, and they are given award in the conference annually.

Faisal Mukhtar is the police officer who has recently been chosen by the IACP, and thus he stands among 40 police officers selected all over the globe. This Pakistani police officer, working in SSP grade, was posted in Khanewal as District Police Officer (DPO) until he was transferred recently under massive bureaucracy reshuffle.

Faisal Mukhtar submitted his case to IACP officially through his seniors DIG up to IG level. The IACP thus acknowledged the services of the Pakistani police officer and nominated him for the award. It thus is a great honour for a Pakistani officer.

Faisal was DPO Mandi Bahauddin first and then Khanewal. What surprises more is the fact that IACP has 30,000 members from 150 countries; thus it's a recognised leader in global policing. It manages annual police conference in the US in which law enforcement leaders participate.

This year, the annual conference was organised in Orlando, where US President Donald Trump addressed the world law-enforcement leaders including son of the Pakistani soil Faisal Mukhtar. This establishes the great significance of IACP.

Faisal aged 38 hailing from Faisalabad district, has achieved another landmark when he won the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship in 2016. When this scribe came to know this story of courage and quality, he readily contacted Faisal Mukhtar who is now Staff Officer to the Punjab Inspector General of Police.

Talking to senior media persons, Faisal Mukhtar who looked meek and indebted to God said that he was not habitual of self-praise so he did not share this award with friends or media during his stay at Khanewal.

When asked to enumerate some measures, steps, achievements made by him in police which led to his selection/nomination for IACP global award, Faisal Mukhtar explained that some of them were: empowered women police officials by posting them as Assistant Station Clerk, a managerial position in police stations, first ever in the district police; introduced a 'respect for all' policy in police department; arranged and developed behavioural training programmes to educate the officers on policy; steps to improve community-police relations; established a vehicle driving training school which lowered the number of traffic crashes and enhanced the organisation of traffic in Punjab; introduced the idea of rehabilitation practices for the prisoners released on probation and parole.

When asked to give a brief overview of his achievements as DPO Khanewal, he said: "The event of general elections 2018 was a big job which he managed successfully and not even a single case was reported or highlighted by media against the police. Similarly, security in Muharram was acknowledged by all as the district remained peaceful."

Anjum Bashir