The police and their high-ups should bear in mind that discretion and restraint are better part of valour
TURBAT: The recent incident of 19-month-old Ahsan falling victim to an apparent crossfire between the police and robbers in Karachi is heart-breaking. Contrary to the police’s account, the family claims that the policemen were not exchanging fire with robbers. It claimed the policemen were fighting among themselves and in the exchange of gunfire between the policemen one of the bullets hit the infant. This is not the first time a citizen, especially a child, has fallen victim to our trigger-happy, adventurous and unrestrained police. In Karachi since the beginning of 2018, 19 innocent people have been killed in such incidents. In all the cases, the police claimed people were killed in exchange of fire between them and outlaws. But the victims’ families blame lack of restraint on the part of the police for the killing of innocent people. The police and their high-ups should bear in mind that discretion and restraint are better part of valour. There is certainly something amiss in the mental make-up of police personnel and their training. There is nothing more precious than human life. It is high time the government took steps to rein in our trigger-happy police. Looking for scapegoats won’t do.
Adnan Maqsood
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2019.
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