Turkish police model: Only a diluted version
It is lamentable that police reforms are being neglected at such crucial time in Pakistan’s security history
Punjab Police’s Dolphin Unit project, which was aimed at patrolling and controlling street crime, is not being implemented as per its original plan, because of the provincial government’s low priority to the area of law enforcement and bureaucratic hurdles.
A Turkish delegation, led by Levent Eken and Yucel Bugdaycı, which returned to their country earlier this month, was hugely disappointed in the Punjab government’s attitude towards the modernisation of the Punjab Police. Both Eken and Bugdaycı stayed in Pakistan for six months to help Punjab set up the Dolphin Unit, as well as the Integrated Command and Control Centre Project in Lahore. The latter was to be completed on the pattern of the Command and Control Centre of Istanbul but the delegation was not allowed to meet Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif regularly regarding these projects by the bureaucracy and the District Management Group.
The previous delegation of the National Turkish Police led by Dr Mustafa Ozguler that visited Pakistan had a better liaison with the chief minister due to which it managed to help raise the Counter-Terrorism Force but the initiatives that the delegation started were supposed to be completed with the help of the present delegation led by Eken and Bugdaycı. These were delayed because of bureaucratic hurdles.
Two striking features of the Turkish unit are the distinguished uniforms of its personnel and 1,300cc heavy motorbikes that they are provided with. The Punjab authorities, however, suggested that the unit be given 125cc motorbikes. Later it was discovered that the patrolling staff was already using 125cc motorbikes without any positive results so the bureaucracy agreed to only provide 300cc motorbikes.
It seems that we have not acquired the distinguishing features of the original Turkish force. Such half-hearted attempts at raising a new unit without the distinguishing features is less likely to bear fruitful results.
Likewise, the Integrated Command and Control Centre has also been delayed though the chief minister had announced that it would become operational by the end of last year. It is lamentable that police reforms are being neglected at such a crucial time in Pakistan’s security history in its most populous province.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2015.
A Turkish delegation, led by Levent Eken and Yucel Bugdaycı, which returned to their country earlier this month, was hugely disappointed in the Punjab government’s attitude towards the modernisation of the Punjab Police. Both Eken and Bugdaycı stayed in Pakistan for six months to help Punjab set up the Dolphin Unit, as well as the Integrated Command and Control Centre Project in Lahore. The latter was to be completed on the pattern of the Command and Control Centre of Istanbul but the delegation was not allowed to meet Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif regularly regarding these projects by the bureaucracy and the District Management Group.
The previous delegation of the National Turkish Police led by Dr Mustafa Ozguler that visited Pakistan had a better liaison with the chief minister due to which it managed to help raise the Counter-Terrorism Force but the initiatives that the delegation started were supposed to be completed with the help of the present delegation led by Eken and Bugdaycı. These were delayed because of bureaucratic hurdles.
Two striking features of the Turkish unit are the distinguished uniforms of its personnel and 1,300cc heavy motorbikes that they are provided with. The Punjab authorities, however, suggested that the unit be given 125cc motorbikes. Later it was discovered that the patrolling staff was already using 125cc motorbikes without any positive results so the bureaucracy agreed to only provide 300cc motorbikes.
It seems that we have not acquired the distinguishing features of the original Turkish force. Such half-hearted attempts at raising a new unit without the distinguishing features is less likely to bear fruitful results.
Likewise, the Integrated Command and Control Centre has also been delayed though the chief minister had announced that it would become operational by the end of last year. It is lamentable that police reforms are being neglected at such a crucial time in Pakistan’s security history in its most populous province.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2015.