Security negligence
On Monday, a woman was shot, allegedly by her husband, over a ‘family dispute’ within the premises of the Karachi City Court. The victim was at the court for a separation case when the suspect opened fire. Earlier this year, a 19-year-old girl was shot dead over ‘honour’ by her father at the gates of Karachi City Court for marrying of her free will. The recurrence of such incidents indicates that security arrangements at City Courts are below par. The victim’s lawyer claimed that he had requested a search of the suspect before the entry, but his request was not granted.
The fact that prisoners under trial are found carrying weapons inside courts in the presence of police sets a bad precedent. It will further embolden criminals under trial to resort to violent tactics to disturb or prolong hearings, but also threaten the safety and security of others at court including judicial officials as well as the public. The Inspector General of Police took notice of the event and sought action against the responsible officers.
Women are more likely to face violence during court proceedings due to longstanding patriarchal structures and ideas. Judges, lawyers and law enforcement officials regularly resort to victim-blaming and shaming even in cases of domestic violence and divorce. Male police officers often manhandle female plaintiffs and suspects. Therefore, there is an urgent need to sensitise both male and female police officers to prevent them from succumbing to their inherent biases and handle suspects appropriately. Female police officers should be assigned to female plaintiffs and suspects. The onus lies on the police force to deter such incidents in the future by strengthening security arrangements at City Courts and reprimanding police officers responsible for Monday’s incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2023.
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