NPMB moot on inter-provincial intelligence sharing scheduled month-end

ISLAMABAD: The government has convened a meeting of the National Police Management Board (NPMB) by end of this month to strengthen inter-provincial intelligence sharing, integrate crime data at the national level, and formulate measures to curb terror financing.

The NPMB, established under the Police Order 2002, comprises the Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) of all provinces, the IGPs of Railways and National Highways Police, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Islamabad Capital Territory Police, and the Director General (DG) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The Police Order 2002 designates the National Police Bureau (NPB) as the secretariat of the board.

The last meeting of the NPMB was held on March 17, 2022, despite the requirement under the Police Order 2002 that the board meet twice annually.

An official source said that the next meeting of the NPMB will be held by end of June 2026. Recommendations have been sought from provincial police chiefs on restructuring the NPB, internal security policy, enhancing coordination, combating terrorism and terror financing, and integrating police databases nationwide. Suggestions have also been sought regarding the establishment of a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Gilgit-Baltistan and measures to improve coordination among law enforcement agencies.

Source said the board’s primary responsibilities include advising federal and provincial governments on planning, development and standardisation of police administration, training, criminal identification systems, statistics and equipment for police and other law enforcement agencies.

The board is also mandated to identify and facilitate research in areas such as criminology, terrorism, sectarian and ethnic violence, drug trafficking, organised crime, inter-provincial crime and crimes with international dimensions, he said.

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh and ex-Director General of the National Police Bureau, Afzal Ali Shigri, told Business Recorder that standardisation of policing across the country was essential to effectively address challenges such as terrorism, terror financing and other forms of crime.

When asked about the rumors that the police force is going to be nationalised, Shigri said that the Police Order 2002 only envisaged the standardisation of policing across the country.

He said that police order contains no provision for nationalising provincial police forces and instead focuses on harmonising police structures, training, procedures and coordination mechanisms to improve law enforcement and address common security challenges.

He emphasised the need for enhanced coordination among provincial police forces, timely intelligence sharing and the provision of modern equipment to law enforcement agencies.

Shigri further said that IGPs of all provinces, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, should meet regularly to deliberate on emerging security challenges. He stressed that the NPB must be strengthened to effectively support police reforms and institutional development across the country.

Referring to the Police Order 2002, he said that the establishment of a National Forensic Sciences Agency (NFSA) in the federal capital had been proposed to modernise criminal investigations and address increasingly complex cases. He also said that the establishment of forensic science laboratories in the provinces was also proposed in the Police Order 2002.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026