EDITORIAL: President Dr Arif Alvi summed it up best, as the nation's leadership gathered to pay tribute to its police force and recognise its many sacrifices, when he said that the police were the "front line force" against not just crime but also terrorism in the country. Indeed, as the region's security dynamics are changing with all the upheaval in Afghanistan, already triggering incidents of terrorism in Pakistan, the police is again called upon to nip this evil in the bud; with the same sense of sincerity and sacrifice in the line of duty with which they assisted the military in arresting the previous wave of terrorism. That is why Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, also present on the occasion, ordered the force to "remain vigilant" because the next five or six months are most likely going to be a challenge.
It's true that the police force has long suffered from what could be called an image problem, and there are good reasons for it. It's also true that the force has come to symbolise corruption, that its officers are often accused of being in the pockets of politicians, and you've had it even if you so much as run into them on a street picket most of the time. But it can also not be denied that each one of those, and more, problems sprang from the utter neglect of this asset for which only our revered politicians are to blame. In fact, one of the biggest misfortunes to have befallen this republic is that over time its rulers got used to treating the police force as their own property; holding the privilege of fudging their performance reports over their heads to keep them in line.
Still, despite all the problems, the police force rose to the occasion very admirably when the enemy brought the fight to our soil and took more than 70,000 lives. And now, when another call to duty is imminent, it is heartening to note that the government has their sacrifices and, perhaps even more importantly, their needs on its mind. Yet it will take far more than customary praise, however sincere, from the president and a few high-ranking ministers. The force needs equipment, better weapons, training and, above all, reforms, if it is to regain its lost shine.
Also, while the centre can and must get the ball rolling and make much-needed investments, it is after all a provincial subject, and that is where the main work is going to be done. You can't expect an under-funded, politically manipulated, and improperly armed police force to protect all citizens at all times, stand its ground in the face of terror threats the likes of which just got a superpower and its military to leave this region with a red nose, and also stand out for its professionalism at the same time. For the force to improve, just like anything else, it will need substantial and targeted attention and investment. Only then will the police force really turn itself around and become a much more professionally organised body as opposed to the one that stands out for individual acts of bravery and sacrifice; like the famous incident in Sindh where a policeman used his own daughter as bait to catch a gang of kidnappers and recover lost persons.
The days when police officers are kept up at nights thinking about making ends meet and giving their children a good life need to come to an end. It is a uniformed service and should be accorded privileges in keeping with its stature. If the state is really sincere about upgrading the force and everything attached to it, then it must become more responsible and professional about the management of some of its most precious assets as well.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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