Financial and moral corruption, it seems, has become synonymous with some government departments. Law enforcement agencies are no exception. It boggles the mind that instead of stemming the rising tide of street crimes — mostly with violent outcomes — in Karachi, officials of a pivotal force such as the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) would be in the storm’s eye for alleged misuse of force. In a recent incident, a paramilitary force had to intervene to rescue an illegally detained man from CTD captivity. The victim was reported to be the nephew of a Rangers official. The raid conducted at a police station to recover him followed a complaint filed by the officer. Three CTD men were subsequently arrested, an SSP removed, and the police station’s DSP and SHO suspended.
It is deeply concerning that a force responsible for national security finds itself embroiled in such grave allegations. While IG Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon’s actions have helped restore some confidence, they are still far from ensuring such incidents will not happen again. That the next time a family with no personal contacts will not find itself running from pillar to post to have a relative released. The concern becomes all the more pertinent because this is not the first time the anti-terrorism force has been accused of criminal activities.
The endemic corruption within our law enforcement agencies stems from deeply entrenched structural problems that have persisted for decades. These include inadequate salaries, lack of proper training, political interference and a culture of impunity that allows corrupt practices to flourish. Comprehensive reforms aimed at overhauling the police system will need to be undertaken, including increasing salaries, ensuring merit-based recruitment and promotions, providing regular and rigorous training and establishing independent oversight bodies to monitor and investigate corruption within the force. Only through such systemic changes can the trust of the public be restored, and law enforcement agencies be transformed into a force that truly serves and protects the citizens.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2024.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ