KARACHI:
Corruption has permeated all levels of Pakistani society. Besides moral degeneration, corruption has a direct correlation with the crime rate in a community when it comes to the criminal justice system. The police are given authority and responsibility to ensure peace in society by rooting out criminal elements and providing justice to the oppressed ones. Different surveys point out that crimes, instead of subsiding, further escalate due to the sheer negligence and deep-rooted corrupt practices in the policing system.
Take the example of a murder case where the victims or victims’ families desire to get justice at their earliest. This is upon the police to pursue the case in a true spirit till the offenders get fair treatment according to the law of the land. However, statistics highlight that police don’t take even the most open-and-shut cases to logical conclusions. Either because their actions are influenced by powerful people, or they take bribes or other benefits from the perpetrators of the crime. Failure to serve justice prompts the victims to take revenge by taking the law into their hands, which results in a perpetual cycle of fighting and violence in society.
The ensuing chaos exacts a heavy toll on societal peace, people’s lives, and order in a community. Besides negligence, the police lack the requisite capacity to investigate criminal cases in depth and apprehend the criminals. It is high time that the government overhauls the entire policing framework by building the capacity of law enforcement agencies’ personnel and associated infrastructure.
Asad Aziz
Khushab
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2022.
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