EDITORIAL: It is hard to believe that the police chief in the federal capital could issue such an unwarranted, unconscionable directive. But Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir has actually given an order via the Director General of Safe City Islamabad, saying henceforth no official is to share any information, verbal or documented, with media channels or newscasters regarding the police nor will any official give an interview to a media representative.
Furthermore says the directive, anyone found committing such an act would be dismissed from service, adding that the directive should be followed strictly. The move has triggered at least two serious concerns.
The first and foremost is about the IGP arrogating to himself the right to decide what can or cannot be shared with journalists. Wherefrom does he draw that authorisation? Officers can withhold information only in cases that can hinder an ongoing investigation or have repercussions for national security, for instance, the identity or presence of terrorists in a certain location.
In all other situations the Right to Information (ROI) law empowers journalists to access facts and data pertaining to issues of public interest through oral communication or documents. As society’s watchdog, journalists have a duty towards the people to expose corruption, human rights violations, and other abuses of power and demand accountability of wrongdoers.
The ROI obligates the police as well as all other government departments to provide such information to media persons. And second is the disquieting threat about dismissal from service.
The IGP surely is aware that no officer can be dismissed on his say — so except in cases of gross misconduct, such as financial corruption, misuse of power, criminal negligence or absence from duty or collusion with criminal elements — no senior officer is known to have been shown the door on any of these accounts.
The directive clearly amounts to misuse of authority on the part of the police chief, and if implemented can easily be challenged in a court of law to be reversed.
Reports also say that the capital police high-ups have already been making attempts to prevent sharing of information with beat reports. Why do that at this particular point in time? One explanation offered by some within the force is that it is aimed at hiding data about the rising crime rate in Islamabad. That may be one consideration.
But it seems to be intended more to keep officers from answering unsettling questions about arrests and re-arrests of workers and leaders of an opposition party on the basis of what the Islamabad High Court has called “blind FIRs”, or to disclose their whereabouts.
Whatever the reason the order only goes on to affirm, once again, that our police as an institution remain mired in colonial traditions given to think that their job is to control rather than serve the people.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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