Canberra, 16 September 1953
Colombo Plan—Training for Pakistan Police Officers
Our High Commissioner at Karachi1 has received an informal enquiry from the Secretary to the Ministry of the Interior about our willingness to accept officers of the Police Service of Pakistan for training under the technical co-operation scheme.
You will remember that a similar request was received from Burma and that facilities were granted, although the Government of Burma has elected to defray all expenses itself and not to include them under the technical co-operation scheme.
We regard the civil police organisation as an important and necessary branch of public administration and believe that assistance in this way would conform to the spirit and intention of the technical co-operation scheme. Training would of course be confined to ordinary criminal investigation, organisation, administration and training, and would not extend to A.S.I.O. or the Special Branches of the State Police. The agreement of the latter has not been sought in advance of your authority to proceed with the project but it is expected they would be willing to extend arrangements for Pakistan similar to those they are willing to provide for Burma.
It is therefore recommended that you approve
(i) A response to Pakistan’s enquiry, subject to the concurrence of A.S.I.O. and State authorities concerned, by an offer of training facilities for up to a dozen Pakistan Police officers over the next three years (1954, 1955, 1956) for courses of study and observation in Australia at senior fellowship rates.
(ii) Expenditure for the purpose from technical co-operation funds of up to £11,400 of which the details are approximately as follows:
Fares (£300 Stg. each) and
travelling allowances| £4,500
—|—
Equipment allowances| 480
Fellowship awards
(six months each person)| 4,800
Travel within Australia (£100)| 1,200
Entertainment| 250
Contingencies| 150
| £11,380
[NAA: A10299,C13]
1 Major General L.E. Beavis.