UNIPATH STAFF
Cellphone text messaging is coming to the aid of crime victims in Pakistan.
The government of Pakistan and law enforcement agencies are incorporating the use of texting to better communicate with the public. New programs let women text police to lodge official complaints. Citizens can also use texts to provide feedback about their dealings with government agencies.
Historically, women had to visit police stations to file complaints, a process some victims viewed as intimidating. But in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of the country, women in distress can interact with police from cellphones.
“The concept behind this initiative is that if a citizen doesn’t have access to help, the state is responsible to provide security and help by reaching out to such citizens in trouble,” Azam Khan, the secretary of home department, which supervises the police department, told Dawn.com.
Female officers will follow up the complaints to determine if women received positive and immediate responses from local police stations.
Texting is also playing an important role in evaluating performance of government functions. To assess government programs, data will be collected from citizens via text messaging.
Sources: Dawn.com, The News International (Pakistan)