Law enforcers or lawbreakers

Corruption within elite Sindh police units undermines public trust.

Listen to article

Officials of the Sindh Counter-Terrorism Department and the Special Protection Unit, among the most elite law enforcement units in the country, have gone above and beyond to strengthen the perception of police being no different from the criminals they pursue, except for the uniforms. The two cops, both deputy superintendents, were allegedly part of a group of corrupt cops involved in a digital currency heist related to a kidnapping for ransom.

The case involved a man kidnapped from Karachi's Manghopir area on December 25 and driven around in a police vehicle, where he was coerced at gunpoint to arrange the transfer of over $340,000 in digital currency to the kidnappers. The incident is just one more reminder of why many victims of crime are unwilling to trust the police and why honest cops find it so hard to get victims and witnesses to cooperate - people are afraid that assisting the police means setting themselves up to become victims of crooked policemen. This reluctance to cooperate with police stems from a fear that reaching out for help could instead lead to further victimisation, often by the very officers meant to provide assistance. This reinforces a dangerous cycle: honest officers find themselves hindered in their work due to public distrust, while corrupt officers continue to operate with impunity.

For a start, we must work towards a justice system that holds all lawbreakers accountable, even if their day jobs require them to wear uniforms. Better whistleblower protections are also needed. Independent oversight of police conduct should also be increased and made more transparent - there have been reports of oversight officials becoming party to certain forms of police corruption and abuse of office. But at the end of the day, oversight should be the last line of defence. The police need to prove they can hold themselves accountable, and that will not happen until corrupt cops actually spend time behind bars instead of being allowed to abscond, or at worst, get away with a slap on the wrist.