In the midst of rising security concerns and rising crime rates, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police Department has made the police approval certificate a mandatory requirement to ensure employment.

This decision applies not only to public and private sectors, but also to employees working in stores and households. To promote this initiative, the police department has launched an awareness campaign under the slogan “better safe than sorry.”

The campaign encourages citizens to request a police clearance certificate before hiring employees for their business or home. Authorities have warned that not controlling an employee’s background could potentially lead to future problems.

The police department has required all district officers to activate facilitation centers, ensuring that the process of obtaining the clearance certificate is made easier to the public. These centers, established in each city, give residents access to their certificates immediately.

The process of getting an approval certificate involves online verification for local citizens and a visit to the facilitation center is required.

For non-residents, the process requires submission of a form, delivery of an ID card and two photographs and get approvals from the local police station and the police superintendent. The certificates are typically treated within five to six hours.

In addition, police have clarified that hiring foreign nationals or Afghan nationals without a certificate of approval can result in lawsuits against the employer.