ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday that economic development is directly linked with peace, and the police play a crucial role in making Pakistan a safe and strong country.

Addressing the National Police Summit and Expo, the minister praised the Islamabad police, the Higher Education Commission and the National Police Bureau for organising the event.

Mr Iqbal said no development was possible without peace, and called for a strong relationship between police and academia to take modern challenges.

He also paid tribute to martyred police, calling them national martyrs.

Mr Iqbal said at the conference that law enforcement was facing several challenges in the era of modern technology, and police and law enforcement agencies would have to equip themselves with modern techniques and ensure the public`s cooperation to prevent crime.

He said the police should take advantage of research in the fields of criminology, technology and sociology, as well as others.

Calling the youth an asset in the country, Mr Iqbal said young people should help the police curb crime and raise awareness about the police`s responsibilities in society. `We will have to keep our youth safe and protected,` he said.

He added that public cooperation was crucial for successful policing, and asked police officials to coordi-nate closely with the public.

`Police needs to develop strong relationships with the community to win their confidence,` he said, adding that a mechanism should be devised to settle petty disputes and a database containing the records of criminals and terrorists should be prepared.

The conference was attended by the inspector general of Islamabad police (IGP), IGP motorway, high level police from the four provinces, the Frontier Constabulary and other law enforcement agencies.

Mr Iqbal also awarded prizes andcertificates to students from the Bahria and Riphah universities and the Institute of Space Technology for projects related to law enforcement activities.

Also speaking at the conference, IGP Islamabad Dr Sultan Azam Temuri emphasised the need for community policing. Other representatives from provincial police departments also spoke at the event and suggested ways to improve policing.

Police uniforms, security and pursuit vehicles, firearms, crime scene aids and other security equipment was also showcased at the expo.