Fundamental improvements required in our police force
If there is no incentive for good work, any set-up is likely to implode like a house of cards
The writer served as SP Sindh and Punjab for 7 years and as DIG for 13 years. He was responsible for bringing together the Motorway Police. He also served as Secretary Communication from 2001 to 2005 and as Chairman Pemra from 2005 to 2008
During the past six decades 27 Police Commissions/Committees were set up to reform the police force. All these bodies were headed by eminent judges, generals, politicians and police officers with sterling reputation. Concurrently, there have been hundreds of workshops/seminars with valuable inputs from local and foreign experts, coupled with foreign financial assistance. And yet there has been no improvement in police performance, conduct and administration. Why?
Were these endeavours oblivious to the ground realities and blind to the constraints police has to work against? Though one has to acknowledge that most of the reports were excellent expositions and plans but unfortunately, repetitive and often carried ideas borrowed from the West and East which were tantamount to fixing a square peg in a round hole. While one cannot help lauding the application and exceptional work done by the experts, one is left with the impression that real problems of the service were rarely taken into account. The basic focus of all the Commissions and experts was on: pay and emoluments; recruitment; training; resources and accountability. These factors cannot be ignored in any reform package but they are so self evident that they have to be taken for granted and therefore it is ingenuous to keep harping on them in isolation of the intrinsic issues. The real problems of police are operational and societal.
Reforming the police and ensuring good governance is inconceivable unless the fundamental issues are addressed. To do this, a break from the approach adopted for the past 60 years is crucial. The focus has to shift from relevant elements of recruitment, training, pay etc., to the operational problems and working environment after factoring in the obtaining ground realities.
In 1997 the Government tasked me to raise a efficient and honest force for the newly constructed Motorway from Lahore to Islamabad. Due to time constraint, fresh recruitment was not possible therefore all provinces and other territories were asked to provide serving traffic policemen on deputation. It was no surprise that semi-literate, routinely trained and unwanted policemen were provided for the proposed model force. To the bewilderment of everyone it was this lot of rejects which pioneered a unique policing culture on the motorway which has weathered the vicissitudes and turmoil of the last two decades. This practical demonstration of metamorphosis shatters to pieces all theories of reforming police through better pay, good recruitment, adequate resources and training. Kindly consider that even when nearly three times pay package was notified for the Motorway Police and volunteers were sought from all over Pakistan; it came as a shock when there was not even one volunteer from all around the country. Since no fresh recruitment was made for the Motorway Police and all the deputationists which were provided had been recruited in Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, K-P and AJK at various times and under different governments, the theory of good recruitment is not applicable as a reason for the acknowledged good performance of the Motorway Police, based on public service.
A pivotal factor in the performance and conduct of Motorway Police was unity of command. There was no magistrate and police officers were empowered. In my judgment the main reason for police high-handedness, corruption and failure is dual control. It is essential that authority and responsibility must be inculcated in each individual, to ensure good results.
In August 1997, the Government sent me to see the California Highway Police (CHIPS) to replicate it on the recently opened Motorway between Lahore and Islamabad. On the flight from Washington to Los Angles my co-passengers barraged me by narrating incidents of CHIPS. They were related to the help, succour, speedy response and public service this force provided to the commuters. On my return all formal training was dispensed and the subject taught to the trainees was Public Service. Practical training was given in first aid, minor repair of vehicles, rescue procedures and handling all conceivable situations where a commuter in distress needed help.
It is perceived that in our part of the world it is neither possible to establish Rule of Law nor have a police force free of nepotism, corruption and apathy. Probably for the first time in the history of Pakistan these accepted norms were torpedoed on the Motorway and law was applied to all motorists. When the public saw generals, judges, inspectors and ministers being prosecuted they were pleased and started abiding the law. A crucial factor for the success of Motorway Police was complete delegation, blind trust and full independence of action. Within a few months the force started performing and responding to the beck and call of their officers. Alongside delegation and trust, speedy and stringent accountability was ensured for any misdemeanour established. This was possible because every officer knew his subordinates intimately and there was tremendous peer pressure for efficient work. Over and above all this was the fact that in all matters IG Motorway was the final authority.
If there is no incentive for good work, any set-up is likely to implode like a house of cards. This is exactly what has hit our Police Force. Today there is no incentive for police to catch criminals because there is hardly any conviction. With the entire Criminal Justice System in a shambles, police is left with hardly any motivation to work. At operational levels the unanimous view is why should police catch criminals and thereby facilitate the magistracy to make deals with them, while in the bargain police earns their enmity. To arrest the rising spiral of crime and terrorism the entire Criminal Justice System has to be revamped and reformed starting with the courts so that there is some motivation and incentive for good work.
Another crucial factor that needs to be recognised and which can make any dream a reality is the political will. It was the will of the then Prime Minister and his unflinching faith in me, which checkmated the bureaucratic negativity and permeated positivity to all levels, making my task easier.
So much has been said and written on the Motorway Police and yet the critical question, how serving policemen became honest, efficient and polite eludes us because, we refuse to change our mindset and persist in believing stereotyped theories. If minds and souls of human beings could be transformed by excellent paper plans/proposals, good training and better pay, the Establishment Division could transform the entire bureaucracy.
We have to get out of this hackneyed pedestrian syndrome. The sooner the better. The key issues have been flagged almost all of which are operational; and, except for reforming the Criminal Justice System, none will cost a penny. It is only a question how, when and where these should be implemented. It is recommended that Islamabad Capital Territory may be taken up to create a model force on the pattern of the Motorway Police set-up.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2016.
Were these endeavours oblivious to the ground realities and blind to the constraints police has to work against? Though one has to acknowledge that most of the reports were excellent expositions and plans but unfortunately, repetitive and often carried ideas borrowed from the West and East which were tantamount to fixing a square peg in a round hole. While one cannot help lauding the application and exceptional work done by the experts, one is left with the impression that real problems of the service were rarely taken into account. The basic focus of all the Commissions and experts was on: pay and emoluments; recruitment; training; resources and accountability. These factors cannot be ignored in any reform package but they are so self evident that they have to be taken for granted and therefore it is ingenuous to keep harping on them in isolation of the intrinsic issues. The real problems of police are operational and societal.
Reforming the police and ensuring good governance is inconceivable unless the fundamental issues are addressed. To do this, a break from the approach adopted for the past 60 years is crucial. The focus has to shift from relevant elements of recruitment, training, pay etc., to the operational problems and working environment after factoring in the obtaining ground realities.
In 1997 the Government tasked me to raise a efficient and honest force for the newly constructed Motorway from Lahore to Islamabad. Due to time constraint, fresh recruitment was not possible therefore all provinces and other territories were asked to provide serving traffic policemen on deputation. It was no surprise that semi-literate, routinely trained and unwanted policemen were provided for the proposed model force. To the bewilderment of everyone it was this lot of rejects which pioneered a unique policing culture on the motorway which has weathered the vicissitudes and turmoil of the last two decades. This practical demonstration of metamorphosis shatters to pieces all theories of reforming police through better pay, good recruitment, adequate resources and training. Kindly consider that even when nearly three times pay package was notified for the Motorway Police and volunteers were sought from all over Pakistan; it came as a shock when there was not even one volunteer from all around the country. Since no fresh recruitment was made for the Motorway Police and all the deputationists which were provided had been recruited in Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, K-P and AJK at various times and under different governments, the theory of good recruitment is not applicable as a reason for the acknowledged good performance of the Motorway Police, based on public service.
A pivotal factor in the performance and conduct of Motorway Police was unity of command. There was no magistrate and police officers were empowered. In my judgment the main reason for police high-handedness, corruption and failure is dual control. It is essential that authority and responsibility must be inculcated in each individual, to ensure good results.
In August 1997, the Government sent me to see the California Highway Police (CHIPS) to replicate it on the recently opened Motorway between Lahore and Islamabad. On the flight from Washington to Los Angles my co-passengers barraged me by narrating incidents of CHIPS. They were related to the help, succour, speedy response and public service this force provided to the commuters. On my return all formal training was dispensed and the subject taught to the trainees was Public Service. Practical training was given in first aid, minor repair of vehicles, rescue procedures and handling all conceivable situations where a commuter in distress needed help.
It is perceived that in our part of the world it is neither possible to establish Rule of Law nor have a police force free of nepotism, corruption and apathy. Probably for the first time in the history of Pakistan these accepted norms were torpedoed on the Motorway and law was applied to all motorists. When the public saw generals, judges, inspectors and ministers being prosecuted they were pleased and started abiding the law. A crucial factor for the success of Motorway Police was complete delegation, blind trust and full independence of action. Within a few months the force started performing and responding to the beck and call of their officers. Alongside delegation and trust, speedy and stringent accountability was ensured for any misdemeanour established. This was possible because every officer knew his subordinates intimately and there was tremendous peer pressure for efficient work. Over and above all this was the fact that in all matters IG Motorway was the final authority.
If there is no incentive for good work, any set-up is likely to implode like a house of cards. This is exactly what has hit our Police Force. Today there is no incentive for police to catch criminals because there is hardly any conviction. With the entire Criminal Justice System in a shambles, police is left with hardly any motivation to work. At operational levels the unanimous view is why should police catch criminals and thereby facilitate the magistracy to make deals with them, while in the bargain police earns their enmity. To arrest the rising spiral of crime and terrorism the entire Criminal Justice System has to be revamped and reformed starting with the courts so that there is some motivation and incentive for good work.
Another crucial factor that needs to be recognised and which can make any dream a reality is the political will. It was the will of the then Prime Minister and his unflinching faith in me, which checkmated the bureaucratic negativity and permeated positivity to all levels, making my task easier.
So much has been said and written on the Motorway Police and yet the critical question, how serving policemen became honest, efficient and polite eludes us because, we refuse to change our mindset and persist in believing stereotyped theories. If minds and souls of human beings could be transformed by excellent paper plans/proposals, good training and better pay, the Establishment Division could transform the entire bureaucracy.
We have to get out of this hackneyed pedestrian syndrome. The sooner the better. The key issues have been flagged almost all of which are operational; and, except for reforming the Criminal Justice System, none will cost a penny. It is only a question how, when and where these should be implemented. It is recommended that Islamabad Capital Territory may be taken up to create a model force on the pattern of the Motorway Police set-up.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2016.