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UNITED STates institute of peace

“U.N. peacekeepers returning 

to Pakistan are replicating the 

best practices of peacekeeping at 

home. They continue to identify 

themselves as U.N. peacekeepers 

while serving in the police by displaying their U.N. police medals 

and insignia on their uniforms.”

June 10, 2014

Former U.N. Peacekeepers

Agents of Cultural Change in Pakistan’s Police

Muhammad Quraish Khan

E-mail: m.quraish.khan@gmail.com

peaceBrieF174

Summary

•	 Former U.N. peacekeepers are an emerging cadre within Pakistan’s police who are precursors

of professionalization and other positive changesin police culture.

•	 Given their peacekeeping experience, they are torchbearers of human rights protection in

policing, and believersin gender equality and the rule of law. They have also shown an ability

to resist undue political pressure by government ministers, politicians and interest groups.

•	 They form a resilient force when it comesto fighting the tide of militancy and terrorism in

Pakistan.

•	 This pool of trained resources may be utilized by the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations(DPKO) for the quick start of new peacekeeping missions.

•	 The Government of Pakistan could also utilize them for police-reform initiatives, imparting

training and demonstrating best practices.

•	 Given the potential gainsfrom police participation in U.N. peacekeeping, Pakistan’srecent,

self-imposed ban on police joining peacekeeping deploymentsin the future should be

reversed.

Introduction

The U.N.supports peace and stability in conflict regions around the world, and police are part of its

peacekeeping deployments. The police perform several functions: operationalsupport to the hoststate police;support for reforming, restructuring and rebuilding of the host-state police; and interim

policing. Together, the DPKOand the U.N.’s Department of Field Support (DFS) are responsible for the

selection, deployment, training, management and direction of these peacekeeping missions, along

with their logistics and operationsin the field. After their tours of duty, police peacekeepersreturn

to their home countries and resume normal police work. This Brief examines how Pakistan’s national

police services benefit from serving in peacekeeping missions and help to bring improvementsto

the local police culture.One implication of this experience isthat the DPKOand memberstates,

including Pakistan,should consider establishing systemsfor better utilizing these resources.

After India and Bangladesh, Pakistan isthe third-largest contributor to U.N. peacekeeping

missions; as of April 2014, 588 Pakistani police and 7,359 soldiers were taking part in peacekeeping
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Former U.N. Peacekeepers

page 2 • PB 174 • June 10, 2014

operations.1 A total of 8,9382 Pakistani police officers have been deployed in U.N. peacekeeping

missionssince 1992, when Pakistani police went to Cambodia. From 1992 to 2013, Pakistani police

deployment increased from 35 to 766 annually. However, last November the Ministry of Interior

froze the future deployment of police peacekeepersfor U.N. peace missions under the pretext

of the country’s precariousinternalsecurity situation and a dearth of law enforcersto deal with

domestic challenges. Pakistan’s Army General Headquartersrequested that the ban on police

deployments be lifted in February, but no action has yet been taken.3

An Emerging Cadre 

U.N. peacekeepersreturning to Pakistan are replicating the best practices of peacekeeping at

home. They continue to identify themselves as U.N. peacekeepers while serving in the police by

displaying their U.N. police medals and insignia on their uniforms. These former blue helmets encounter a Pakistani police culture that is persistently resistant to change. For instance, Police Order

2002, a forward-looking reform agenda promulgated that year, called for functionalspecialization

in such areas as crimes against women, forensic sciences and community policy, as well asfor

elected civilian control over the police and greater public input through public safety commissions

and police complaint authorities. Thissystem was never fully implemented, and the police service

continuesto operate under the control of the civilservice bureaucracy in many areas. Through a

series of amendmentsto the order, the spirit of the reform was undermined by political interference, and many aspects of the woefully dated, colonial-era Police Act of 1861 were reintroduced.4

However, former U.N. peacekeepers nonethelessfunction as agents of modernization in the police

force. Owing to their international training and work with multiethnic police, they understand a

democratic service model of policing that is missing from these traditional laws, originally enacted

to“control”rather than serve the citizenry. 

From Integrity to Human Rights Protection

Former U.N. peacekeepers generally enjoy financialstability due to the substantial mission sustenance allowance they received—between $150 and $170 per day compared to the $14 to $33 per

day that their peersin rank would receive. The majority of former peacekeepers whom I’ve asked

say that they volunteered in order to make more money and have an adventure. The financial

independence makesthem lessinclined to accept bribes or to act out of political motivations. Also,

they are familiar with the U.N. accountability and internal auditsystem. These two factors help

develop leadership and reduce malpractice or a sense of impunity. “I am here to serve the people

and to set a good example for my men; we are the custodians of the rule of law,”said Kalam Khan, a

celebrated officer and former U.N. peacekeeper who waslater killed in a March 2012 suicide attack

in Peshawar for which the Pakistani Taliban took responsibility. Malik Saad, another former peacekeeper, was awarded the highest civil award of gallantry, the Hilal-i-Shujat, by the government.

During their time as peacekeepers, the blue helmets operate within a system in which respect

for human rightsisseen asthe cornerstone of police work, and they undergo human rightstraining for their missions. On returning to their home countries, local communitiestend to respect former peacekeepersfor their perceived integrity in an environment where human rights violations

in regular police work are commonplace. In police-community meetings, people often request

that ex-peacekeepers be posted in their areas. Though all police are supposed to receive training in

the protection of human rights, the former peacekeepers demonstrate practical examples ofsuch

respect, particularly while conducting questioning or crowd control.
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Former U.N. Peacekeepers

page 3 • PB 174 • June 10, 2014

Not Political Favorites

Political interference in police work is,sadly, common in Pakistan.5This can severely affectthe quality

and neutrality of police work. Politiciansroutinely interfere in the transfer and posting of police at every

level.However, former peacekeepers perceive themselves as politically neutral and as agents ofthe

rule of law—notserving any political party. Individual officers can pay a price forthat neutrality. If a

police officer operates withoutregard to the desires of political authorities,they could be transferred

to a remote and difficult area ofthe country.The symbiotic relationship between politicians and many

police creates a slippery road of police corruption and deviationsfrom professional conduct. 

The strongest indication of ex-peacekeepers’neutrality is how local politiciansreact to them: In

most cases, those politicians do not favor ex-peacekeepersfor important assignments. The policepolitician nexus plays out most obviously during the elections. Police play a crucial role on three

occasions, the first being when they provide security for political rallies. Trouble can also start when

rival groups fight each other and the police favor one over the other. Later, post-election victory

processionsled by the winning party’s candidatesfrequently become the scene of clashes, as well

asthe setting for police favoritism toward one of the groups of political-party supporters. Politicians

and non-peacekeeper police officerssometimes discriminate against former peacekeepers and

try to marginalize them as Daftari Police (office guys). However, former peacekeepers have often

resisted such political pressure at the local level. Muhammad Ali Babakhel, then the Peshawar police

chief, isreported to have refused to obey verbal orders of the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

regarding the posting of certain policemen to particular assignments and instead opted to go on a

long leave. The chief minister’sspokesman has denied those allegations.6

Using Technology to Foster Police Fraternity 

Former U.N. peacekeepers continue to develop an international perspective on policing and

criminal justice asthey interact on the web. For example, former peacekeepersfrom Pakistan,

Egypt and Jordan recently used social media to discussthe law-and-ordersituation in Egypt

during the Arab Spring and the turmoil in Syria. Former peacekeepers also develop a capacity to

work in multicultural environments, a tendency illustrated on their Facebook pages, which have

friendsranging acrossregions, religions, genders and colors. This makesthem naturally more

inclined to accept cultural diversity thatstrengthenstheir commitment to democratic policing and

reflectsin their day-to-day professional competence. Key to their ability to maintain virtual global

networks among blue helmetsisthe training they receive in the use of information and communication technology. U.N. police officers are also given short coursesthat include media and radio

procedure, officersurvival, transition planning and monitoring and codes of conduct.7 Otherwise,

Pakistani police do not receive such training.

Promoting Gender Equality

Police departments are typically male-dominated and operate with hierarchies based on obedience that are similar to military organizations. They are generally averse to“civilianization.” They

also have been unwelcoming to women police officers, who are frequently assigned dutieslike

serving tea, cleaning offices, answering phones and typing. As a result, women police officerslack

role models. Thisis a feature of Pakistan’s police culture. Again,since former U.N. peacekeepers

have learned to work with women colleagues both assubordinates and supervisors, they tend to

be far more progressive. Shahzadi Gulfam, a woman police officer who received the 2011 International Female Police Peacekeeper Award, achieved iconic statusin Pakistan. 
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Former U.N. Peacekeepers

page 4 • PB 174 • June 10, 2014

Promoting Institutional Partnerships 

Further, the former peacekeepers have been sensitized to the importance of work done by other

organizationsin the areas of human rights, civilsociety and humanitarian efforts. They also work

closely with the military in joint planning and exercises and information-sharing. This willingness

to forge partnerships enhancestheir capacity for community policing as well. In Pakistan’s Lower

Dir district, a former peacekeeper raised platoons of volunteersin 2009-10 to fight the militants.8

Facility in English and Other Languages 

Former peacekeepers are fluent in English; they are tested for proficiency in written and spoken

English as part of theirselection for peacekeeping contingents. In some crises, they have served as

mediators and negotiators. Moreover, they often learn other official U.N. languageslike French and

Arabic during their missions.With their communicationsskills, former peacekeepers have also proven

to be credible and effective police trainers, with many functioning asinstructors or commandantsin

training units. 

Learning Resilience

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) afflictssome peacekeepers, and many troop-contributing

countries are taking precautionary stepsto cope with the problem. However,surprisingly, there are

no reported cases of PTSD among current and former Pakistani peacekeepers.9 Ex-peacekeepers

grew accustomed to conflict environments and this exposure has proven useful in counterterrorism activitiesin Pakistan. They have had experience working with the military component of

peacekeeping missions and learned about tactical aspects of counterterrorism. Many former

peacekeepers have served in the insurgent hotspots of Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,

withoutshowing any signs of psychological distress. 

Recommendations for Action:

For the DPKO

•	 The DPKO should build a database of the relevant skills of former U.N. peacekeepers and

create a liaison capacity with them to identify police officers who are suitable for quick

deployment in new peacekeeping missions.

•	 Former U.N. peacekeepers, under the auspices of Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior and the

DPKO, could establish pre-deployment, crash-training programs for fresh police peacekeeping contingents.

•	 Ex-peacekeepers can also be used cost-effectively to assess the skills necessary for police

recruits for new missions.

•	 Former peacekeepers could participate in information sessions for police officers about the

benefits of serving with the U.N.

For the Government of Pakistan

•	 The subject of international peacekeeping and protection of civilians could be included in

the curriculum of police training institutes.

•	 The experience of former peacekeepers needs to be utilized in police reforms initiatives,

devising training modules, delivering training and demonstrating best practices.
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promotes stability and professionalizes 

the field of peacebuilding.

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Former U.N. Peacekeepers

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•	 Former peacekeepers can be more consciously tapped as agents of change to help cleanse

the Pakistani police culture of undesirable traits.

•	 The present ban imposed by the Ministry of Interior on future participation in U.N. peacekeeping missions ought to be removed. With some 400,000 police at work presently, it is

not credible to argue that allowing perhaps 700 police to participate in overseas peacekeeping at any one time would undercut Pakistani police capabilities.

For former police peacekeepers

•	 At the country level, former peacekeepers should form an UNPOL Alumni Association.

•	 Former women peacekeepers should encourage other female police officers to serve in U.N.

missions and maintain an informal support network.

Notes

1.	 UnitedNations Peacekeeping,“Troop and police contributors,”at www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/

resources/statistics/contributors.shtml.

2.	 DPKOarchives. See www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/resources/statistics/contributors_archive.

shtml.

3.	 See www.dawn.com/news/1086869.

4.	 Hassan Abbas,“Reforming Pakistan Police and Law EnforcementInfrastructure.”United States

Institute of Peace Special Report, February 1, 2011.

5.	 Frederic Grare,“PoliticalDimensions of Police Reform in Pakistan.”Carnegie EndowmentforInternational Peace,July 14, 2010.

6.	 See www.dawn.com/news/1046878/political-meddling-leaves-key-police-post-dormant.

7.	 Robert Rail,“Surviving the InternationalWar Zone”(Boca Raton: CRC Press,Taylor and Francis

Group), 2011.

8.	 Mumtaz Zarin, a former U.N. peacekeeper, quoted in www.dawn.com/2011/02/11/

jirga-opposes-termination-of-dir-dpo/.

9.	 Maria Kiani,“Pakistan’s Contribution to UNPeacekeeping,”Strategic Studies,Volume XXIV,No. 3,

Autumn 2004,The Institute of Strategic StudiesIslamabad. 

About This Brief

Pakistan’s police services play a 

crucial role in providing security, 

and often serve in a frontline capacity in counterterrorism operations 

within the country. The U.S. Institute 

of Peace’s South Asia program 

has been focusing programming 

and analysis on Pakistan’s police 

since 2010. This Brief, based on 

research conducted by the author 

during his time with the United 

Nations Foundation and the U.N. 

Department of Peacekeeping 

Operations, examines how Pakistani 

alumni of international peacekeeping operations can help transmit 

professional values and expertise 

to strengthen the Pakistani police 

services. Muhammad Quraish Khan 

is a police veteran of 13 years 

and currently serves in Khyber 

Pakhtunkhwa as director of the 

police forensic division. Khan previously served as deputy secretary 

of the Home and Tribal Affairs 

Department in Peshawar, and as 

chief financial controller for the 

provincial police department. He 

received a Master’s in Criminology 

from King’s College, London, and 

was a Humphrey/Fulbright fellow 

at the University of Minnesota in 

2011-12.