KARACHI:
The Prime Minister’s recent decision, directing the authorities to establish a new dedicated anti-riot force to deal with future protests, goes against the very grain of good governance and respect for taxpayers’ money. This is a tried-out recipe experimented several times before under the labels of Dolphin Force, Special Security Units, Police Commandos, Counter Terrorism Force and Elite Police Force. Many of these highly trained units are largely engaged in protecting the VIPs, rather than being deployed on more serious assignments.
What is needed is not addition of ‘another’ police force but improving the quality of the existing police to meet the rising challenges of law and order. Making a new riot police is akin to establishing Danish schools, which may provide benefits to a few, but do not improve the quality of schooling at large.
In a world aggressively engaged in downsizing, reducing the size and number of government departments and saving every penny, we seem to be doing just the opposite. This is the reason we are poor. This is the reason why our 12,000 sanitation workers at Karachi and 1 million security guards in Pakistan are deprived of even the legal minimum wage. Can we humbly request you Sir, to reconsider your decision in favour of improving the existing police units, instead of adding more.
Naeem Sadiq
Karachi
