The report of a one-member judicial commission being formed to investigate a case of police brutality in Peshawar this June finds officers responsible for dishonouring the dignity and manhandling of Radiullah. Acting following the report’s findings, Peshawar Police has suspended the cops involved in the incident. However, dismissing one or two officers from the job is not enough to make police officials learn about the concepts of individuals’ fundamental rights and dignity. Torture in police custody remains a problem. The police brutality that ordinary folks experience quite frequently has widened the gap between police and the masses. They fear law enforcement officials; ordinary folks do not think of cops as their protector. The higher-ups in the department need to inculcate professionalism in the cops.
It is high time for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government to focus on reforming the police in KP and Punjab. The previous rhetoric of improving KP Police has lost its charm. What is problematic is the fact that even the top cops also lack professionalism. Take the words of the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh, for instance. His comments on the courts discouraging the police by releasing suspects are inherently problematic. What else can the courts do if the charge sheet against a suspect is weak? Investigating thoroughly and offering up concrete evidence against a suspect is the police’s job. The courts cannot act according to the wishes of the police.
However, before anything else, the state needs to introduce domestic laws that criminalise torture. Though Pakistan’s Constitution does prohibit the use of torture, however, lack of accountability allows the police to rely on torture for investigating and extracting evidence. It is sad to mention that many members of the police in Pakistan have gotten desensitised. We now require that the police be educated on fundamental rights that the Constitution of Pakistan grants to the people.
https://nation.com.pk/30-Dec-2020/reforming-police
Reforming Police: edit in THE NATION, DEC 30, 2020
The report of a one-member judicial commission being formed to investigate a case of police brutality in Peshawar this June finds officers responsible for dishonouring the dignity and manhandling of Radiullah. Acting following the report’s findings, Peshawar Police has suspended the cops involved in the incident. However, dismissing one or two officers from the job is not enough to make police officials learn about the concepts of individuals’ fundamental rights and dignity. Torture in police custody remains a problem. The police brutality that ordinary folks experience quite frequently has widened the gap between police and the masses. They fear law enforcement officials; ordinary folks do not think of cops as their protector. The higher-ups in the department need to inculcate professionalism in the cops.
It is high time for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government to focus on reforming the police in KP and Punjab. The previous rhetoric of improving KP Police has lost its charm. What is problematic is the fact that even the top cops also lack professionalism. Take the words of the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh, for instance. His comments on the courts discouraging the police by releasing suspects are inherently problematic. What else can the courts do if the charge sheet against a suspect is weak? Investigating thoroughly and offering up concrete evidence against a suspect is the police’s job. The courts cannot act according to the wishes of the police.
However, before anything else, the state needs to introduce domestic laws that criminalise torture. Though Pakistan’s Constitution does prohibit the use of torture, however, lack of accountability allows the police to rely on torture for investigating and extracting evidence. It is sad to mention that many members of the police in Pakistan have gotten desensitised. We now require that the police be educated on fundamental rights that the Constitution of Pakistan grants to the people.
https://nation.com.pk/30-Dec-2020/reforming-police
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan