Incorrigible: Improving image without real change

Too much focus is being put on public perception management

LAHORE: A seasoned senior police officer, while discussing the issue of police reforms in the context of social media bashing after the custodial death of ATM suspected thief Salahuddin, commented that every individual would emerge as an expert on everything under the sun except being competent enough in his own field.

A tea seller would not be adept at tea making but when it comes to reforms in society, he would come up with an expert opinion at every possible topic including politics, governance and education system.

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This is a menace leading towards systematic decay of the institutions. A recent trend - focusing too much on public perception management - has been observed in the government departments.

The argument by the officer was that it was the time of fifth-generation war and the public perception management was important to improve service delivery mechanism.

However, under the purview, few fundamental diversions and transgressions have also been observed. A few commanders of Punjab Police have also been spotted obsessed with the idea.

Earlier, only one institution of the country enjoyed the credit of film making besides performing its prime duty.

Now the Punjab Police is the next in line to explore its departmental potential beyond its constitutional purview owing to the ‘skills’ of a deputy inspector general of the police department.

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The DIG has been receiving accolades for bringing forth the challenges faced by policemen before the public. There is a fundamental problem with this approach. First, it seems to undermine the collective consciousness.

The presumption behind the approach is that the public consciousness is wrong and not the department. There are serious problems in the genesis of the police department that expose its anti-people overture in its day to day working.

If this anti-people posture of police is reformed, there is a possibility that the public approach towards police will also turn soft. Such commanders should better focus on mending the inherent chronic problems in the department.

Another problem with the trend is that it leads to the transgression of legal purview. The commanders should well understand that Punjab Police’s prime job is to fight against terrorism, crime control and maintenance of law and order. The police department is not a propaganda mill. The officer should note it well.

SSP Operations Lahore Transferred once again Not even 10 days had passed and SSP Operations Lahore was once again transferred. SP Faisal Shahzad has been appointed as District Police Officer (DPO) Khanewal. It is too obvious that it is a premature transfer. Before him, Ismail Kharak was serving as SSP Operations.

He, too, was transferred and posted as DPO Nakana Sahib hardly after serving for five months. The SSP before him was also transferred prematurely.

Transfers and postings in Punjab have no well-thought, clearly delineated policy. Random transfer postings are not only frustrating for the officers but also often counterproductive for the department in addition to violating Police Order 2002. The Punjab government and the Punjab Police need to look into the matter.