CTD plagued by allegations of corruption, misuse of power

Rangers officials forced to intervene in situation involving demand for bribes outside the CTD Civil Lines premises

KARACHI:

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), the most important arm of IG Ghulam Nabi Memon-led Sindh police force, has been blighted by allegations of corruption, malpractices and misuse of power and authority.

On Tuesday night, Rangers officials were forced to intervene in a situation involving the demand for bribes outside the CTD Civil Lines premises, according to sources. The subsequent uproar among senior police officers forced the CTD DIG to publicly address the incident, leading to the arrest of some CTD officials on bribery charges.

However, this incident has unveiled deeper systemic issues within CTD, a police department which has a crucial role in national security. Growing such incidents show that senior CTD officers are either unaware of the misconduct among their subordinates or they have a deficient internal intelligence network which fails to monitor the activities of their own personnel effectively. This raises serious concerns about the department's ability to maintain integrity and accountability.

While swift actions, such as registering cases and dismissing implicated officers, are taken in response to reported misconduct, subsequent reinstatements based on flawed inquiry reports undermine the credibility of these measures. This cycle of dismissal and reinstatement perpetuates a culture of impunity within the CTD, eroding public trust in the law enforcement agency.

The incident at the CTD Civil Lines office serves as a reminder of the potential prevalence of undisclosed transgressions within the department. Reports of CTD officers engaging in criminal activities, such as kidnapping for ransom, further underscore the need for reform and oversight within the department.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2024.