Police apathy & people’s fury
Ayesha Zee Khan
Thursday, August 30, 2012 - Police in any country is thought to be there to protect the citizens, lock the suspects so that peace & harmony prevail. Unfortunately in Pakistan, it has been doing totally the reverse of what their duty calls for. When lone incidents occur in any part of the country police stays silent, unless you hand in some bribes here and there. Mostly incidents occur in front of the policemen but their silence drives people of that area with rage, revenge and fury.
This in turn becomes a situation which becomes incontrollable, resulting in public lynching and mob attacks who deliver justice in their own way on the spot! Protection of citizens is one of the primary responsibilities of the state. The police system working in Pakistan, prior to the Police Order, 2002, was a 140 years old colonial legacy, as it was based on the Police Act, 1861. In the absence of a proper system of public oversight to check the excesses, police could not be turned from a ‘force’ into a ‘public service’. Powers were concentrated at the upper levels in the police hierarchy.
Incidents of mob justice clearly show that the system is not working that is why people have started taking the law into their own hands. Ghulam Muhammad was lynched to death by an angry mob while two friends of his were seriously injured for allegedly brining a woman into a house for illicit relations in Tando Adam Khan area of Sindh. According to local people they locked the suspects inside the house & informed police but it took no action. Son of the deceased says mob killed his father in the presence of police which remained indifferent to what was happening. Seven people have already been arrested and a six member investigation team formed by Sindh Chief Minister to probe the incident. Recurrence of such mob violence is alarming as it speaks volumes about apathy of the administration towards what is happening in the society and lack of confidence people have on this system. Sialkot incident where two brothers were lynched by the mob when some people dubbed them as dacoits stays fresh in the memory still. Reports have come from other parts of the country where people caught thieves and dacoits red-handed, stoned or burnt them to death at the scene. Suspects were arrested but released later due to lack of sufficient evidence.
There are genuine complaints in most cases but police doesn’t bother to arrest criminals, prefers underhand deals with them or if someone gets arrested they released due to absence of reliable evidence. Fear of police and security officials has damaged the social fabric of our society. Repeated complaints by people are that in many cases Police officers out rightly refuse to file the complaint, for reasons known only to them. Lethargy and inactivity of the police has become a daily occurrence in Pakistan. In some cases, even judges do not award sentence to culprits for fear of reprisals as some judges have been targeted by criminals in different parts of the country. Political interference and appointments in police have also played havoc with the system besides bruised psyche of the people due to day-to-day problems. Mob rule seems to be the rule of the day and it is time for the executive, the legislature and the judiciary to take remedial measures, otherwise the system is bound to collapse soon. Incompetency, contributes 70% and corruption contributes 30% of the 100% failure of today’s government and the rest of the institutions that it heads.
The worse people who got themselves elected with fake degrees in basic graduation are the sole fathers of all the departments today. Corruption is at peak level. What elaborate starting from any department and ending on any sector anything and everything is dependent upon give and take of money. The Current government is concentrating for 5 years in power and making as much money as they can, to take care of the next four generations, they know that they will not be elected next time, they are not bothered and as the track record shows maybe after 10 years of cycle they will return to power again. Everyday life is based on ad hoc decisions and personalized dealings.
How can we take actions for a better society? The solutions lie within if we apply good governance to the existing institutions. Rule of law must be made supreme for all irrespective of what background one comes from. More than 80% of the problems faced by the oppressed can be resolved this way. The police should be well paid and under no institutional interference. Catching and apprehending a culprit becomes more efficient this way. Police transfers and appointments should be done by the institution itself with no recommendations taken either by the President or the Prime Minister of the country. Feudalism should be abolished in Pakistan with immediate effect. 90% of the problems will be resolved once this system is collapsed by the Government.
Education should be a top priority for all the citizens of the country. The meager 2.2% of the GDP is totally not sufficient for the nation. System of education should be one in the country and till the 10thgrade it should be made compulsory on all. Students and young people should be encouraged and given the chance to enroll in classes that teach skilled trades such as construction, welding and plumbing. Child labor should ban and the ones found guilty in this heinous crime should be punished severely. Health facilities need to be improved on war footing. With the 75% deprived of medical cure the Government needs to spend more on this sector for the betterment of the citizens. Hospitals should be better equipped with proper medical care and staff in uniformity throughout the country. Increase in minimum wage and unemployment allowances should be set up for the poor and labor class.
This in turn becomes a situation which becomes incontrollable, resulting in public lynching and mob attacks who deliver justice in their own way on the spot! Protection of citizens is one of the primary responsibilities of the state. The police system working in Pakistan, prior to the Police Order, 2002, was a 140 years old colonial legacy, as it was based on the Police Act, 1861. In the absence of a proper system of public oversight to check the excesses, police could not be turned from a ‘force’ into a ‘public service’. Powers were concentrated at the upper levels in the police hierarchy.
Incidents of mob justice clearly show that the system is not working that is why people have started taking the law into their own hands. Ghulam Muhammad was lynched to death by an angry mob while two friends of his were seriously injured for allegedly brining a woman into a house for illicit relations in Tando Adam Khan area of Sindh. According to local people they locked the suspects inside the house & informed police but it took no action. Son of the deceased says mob killed his father in the presence of police which remained indifferent to what was happening. Seven people have already been arrested and a six member investigation team formed by Sindh Chief Minister to probe the incident. Recurrence of such mob violence is alarming as it speaks volumes about apathy of the administration towards what is happening in the society and lack of confidence people have on this system. Sialkot incident where two brothers were lynched by the mob when some people dubbed them as dacoits stays fresh in the memory still. Reports have come from other parts of the country where people caught thieves and dacoits red-handed, stoned or burnt them to death at the scene. Suspects were arrested but released later due to lack of sufficient evidence.
There are genuine complaints in most cases but police doesn’t bother to arrest criminals, prefers underhand deals with them or if someone gets arrested they released due to absence of reliable evidence. Fear of police and security officials has damaged the social fabric of our society. Repeated complaints by people are that in many cases Police officers out rightly refuse to file the complaint, for reasons known only to them. Lethargy and inactivity of the police has become a daily occurrence in Pakistan. In some cases, even judges do not award sentence to culprits for fear of reprisals as some judges have been targeted by criminals in different parts of the country. Political interference and appointments in police have also played havoc with the system besides bruised psyche of the people due to day-to-day problems. Mob rule seems to be the rule of the day and it is time for the executive, the legislature and the judiciary to take remedial measures, otherwise the system is bound to collapse soon. Incompetency, contributes 70% and corruption contributes 30% of the 100% failure of today’s government and the rest of the institutions that it heads.
The worse people who got themselves elected with fake degrees in basic graduation are the sole fathers of all the departments today. Corruption is at peak level. What elaborate starting from any department and ending on any sector anything and everything is dependent upon give and take of money. The Current government is concentrating for 5 years in power and making as much money as they can, to take care of the next four generations, they know that they will not be elected next time, they are not bothered and as the track record shows maybe after 10 years of cycle they will return to power again. Everyday life is based on ad hoc decisions and personalized dealings.
How can we take actions for a better society? The solutions lie within if we apply good governance to the existing institutions. Rule of law must be made supreme for all irrespective of what background one comes from. More than 80% of the problems faced by the oppressed can be resolved this way. The police should be well paid and under no institutional interference. Catching and apprehending a culprit becomes more efficient this way. Police transfers and appointments should be done by the institution itself with no recommendations taken either by the President or the Prime Minister of the country. Feudalism should be abolished in Pakistan with immediate effect. 90% of the problems will be resolved once this system is collapsed by the Government.
Education should be a top priority for all the citizens of the country. The meager 2.2% of the GDP is totally not sufficient for the nation. System of education should be one in the country and till the 10thgrade it should be made compulsory on all. Students and young people should be encouraged and given the chance to enroll in classes that teach skilled trades such as construction, welding and plumbing. Child labor should ban and the ones found guilty in this heinous crime should be punished severely. Health facilities need to be improved on war footing. With the 75% deprived of medical cure the Government needs to spend more on this sector for the betterment of the citizens. Hospitals should be better equipped with proper medical care and staff in uniformity throughout the country. Increase in minimum wage and unemployment allowances should be set up for the poor and labor class.
Advertisement
Epaper
Advertise Here
Comments