Police force: Where are they in times of need?

They stand tall and sharp in their starch white uniforms, guns ready in hand, next to the fluorescent orange cones dividing us and them. “Of course, the president must be in town,” I thought as I glared at the ever-ready police officers.

It’s funny to see these police officers and rangers come out of nowhere every time the president or prime minister is in town. Not only are they out on the streets, they look clean, vigilant and pose to be doing their jobs well.

Clearly, the government has the resources to protect the common man, yet the only time you see this kind of manpower is when a ‘VIP’ is in town.

Karachi is currently in a state of turmoil, with all the target killings. So, why is it that these resources, which are clearly available for the privileged, are not utilised to protect the common citizens of the country?


We, as citizens, are more vulnerable to the unstable situation our country is currently under, yet we are not given the same kind of protection or assurance that is enjoyed by those more ‘important’. Even then, we are safer in our little bubbles than the common man, since we still live in somewhat secure areas and can choose our paths carefully.

However, the majority of the country’s population do not have any sense of security or protection. They already live in the most hostile areas and are victims of violent crimes. Yet they are the ones who are not given any notice by the police or rangers. It is the elite who are being protected against a threat that probably does not exist for them to begin with.

Swarms of police officers, rangers and protection forces come out of the dust simply to ensure that the leaders reach from one location to another without any disturbance.

There is nothing wrong with protecting the ‘leaders’ of a country, but what about the rest of the population?  Where is our protection and where are the police when we need them?