Eliminating the thana culture

Blue eyed boys in uniform need to give way to a trained police force

IN 1998, Shehbaz Sharif spoke out against police inefficiency and vowed to transform it. Almost two decades later there is little to no change. The thana culture prevails. Corruption is rampant at the police stations and torture is the way to make the accused confess even if he has not committed a crime. With ruling parties keen to use police against political opponents, blue eyed boys are frequently appointed to key posts in violation of merit. Over the years Punjab police has gained notoriety for fake encounters. The police force’s outdated (and in some cases, frankly criminal) interrogation and investigative methods are no longer the topic of drawing room gossip – they have caught the attention of international observers.

The situation in Sindh is hardly any different. Here every ruling party has got officials of its own choice appointed to serve its political purposes. There have been reports of police officials still in service despite facing serious cases in courts. While conducting the hearing on law and order situation in Karachi in 2012 the Supreme Court observed that the police often acted on behest of the politicians. The court also noted that criminals were released on parole and thus managed to escape. The police inefficiency led the government to induct Rangers more than a decade back in Karachi. During the last couple of years the performance of the Sindh police has however improved a little.

Police department in every province suffers from lack of resources. Terrorists are often taken to courts in rickshaws. Some manage to escape due to lack of proper security.