The cycle of futility

Listen to article

In another extravagant display of being proactive and going 'hard on crime', our very own government has decided to be smart and efficient in its efforts on curtailing.

The local police have decided on a 'crackdown' against tinted car windows and fancy number plates. Not only that, they've really forced themselves out of their comfort zones this time and are going as far as 'handcuffing' violators and imposing fines as heavy as Rs10,000. This amount doesn't include the extra 'fee' and 'hidden charges' we all pay when we get pulled over (if you know, you know).

The police seem quite active in this exercise. Seems as though they finally feel productive doing something instead of just patrolling streets in their newly provided patrol vehicles.

But there's one thing here that just doesn't make sense. What will removing tints do? Will it reduce mugging? Will it mitigate terrorism?

The police need to make sure they see what's inside the car. But what will seeing inside the car do? I can have a gun underneath my passenger seat and no one will know.

Do muggers come in tinted cars to rob citizens? Do suicide bombers drive cars with fancy number plates to reach their destination before they blow themselves up?

I am at a loss as to what the logic is here.

And of course, we don't believe in research, now do we? Just like Rehman Malik (God rest his soul) woke up one fine day and decided to shut off all mobile services in the country during Muharram processions. We continue to follow that trend today without even researching if it is making any difference whatsoever. Any minor inconvenience? Shut down mobile services.

Similarly, where's the data on the proposition that removing window tints from vehicles reduces crime? Who came up with this strategy? Mind you, window tints are widely being imported into the country and there is no ban there. Vendors are selling them actively in markets and no one's stopping them because they pay their daily sales tax (not to the FBR, mind you).

I am curious to know as to which gentleman, based on what research, decided that tinted vehicles lead to mugging and terrorism in the city and that removing tints from vehicles will have the opposite effect. In my meager knowledge, there is no evidence or data to back this claim. It is more of a futile exercise where one day tints are removed, the next day people get their cars tinted again.

And why shouldn't they? I wouldn't like to be standing at a signal late at night with people staring into my car and it's worse for women.

Mind you, those who live in DHA will agree with me. Most mugging happens at signals when the light is red. Tints provide you with some protection and they give the muggers something to think about. No wonder all politicians still roam around in jet tinted vehicles. By that principle, they shouldn't be allowed to either. But we understand laws apply differently in our country.

I don't usually make requests here because they tend to fall on deaf ears but here goes nothing. Mr police higher-ups, please base your actions and policies on research. I don't understand why officers are patrolling the main Sea View road in the middle of the day in their new fancy patrol cars when they should be perusing FIRs, seeing which areas are experiencing the highest amount of crime and patrolling those areas instead.

But again, we don't believe in research and data.

If you need assistance with analysing data, I'll be happy to help. I promise you, I have a degree in Criminology.

In other news, the new Chief Justice of the country has taken strict measures to ensure that the backlog of cases in the system is cleared up as soon as possible by adopting comprehensive measures.

Now, where we heard this one before as well? I am going to stop before I get in trouble.