I request the authorities to eradicate such culture from police departments across the country
DERA MURAD JAMALI: A police department is of paramount importance to the functioning of any nation. All officials are servants of the public but in Pakistan, it is vice versa. Most of the public does not believe in its local police department because of the police’s non-serious attitude and habit of creating hurdles for the public. For example, whenever a fight takes place between two groups, the police take both parties in custody. After a few days, they come to compromise with each other but the police do not let them free. If they refuse to pay bribes to the police, they remain in custody.
It has become the culture of our police to tease men in custody and take bribes from everyone — even from the poorest of people, who do not even have a livelihood. Somehow, policemen seem to go after such people specifically — for instance, students, teachers, common people and the most respectable persons. However, they rarely check robbers, thieves, criminals and the corrupt elite class. There is no checks and balances in this department and most officials are allegedly corrupt.
Eliminating street crimes, such as theft and mugging, and providing justice in society is the first and foremost duty of the police but the conditions are opposite here. I request the authorities to eradicate such culture from police departments across the country and implement a system of checks and balances. Corrupt officers must be punished.
Zahid Hussain
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2016.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
