Print Print edition: 2017-11-27

Sindh police 'reforms' plan

Published November 27, 2017 Updated November 27, 2017 12:00am

Before the introduction of the Police Order, 2002, various focal/consultative groups were set up and given a whole year for deliberations, and the draft proposals were later shared with stakeholders for further fine tuning before final approval. The result was a widely appreciated law, though it remained largely ignored by the Sindh as well as Punjab government, and in the case of the former it was eventually revoked in the wake of a quarrel with its IGP, and replaced with the antiquated colonial era Police Act of 1861. It is also worth mentioning in the context that when the KP government decided to introduce police reforms, the proposed changes were openly debated for two years. The KP police department, freed from government control, is generally appreciated for a significant improvement in its performance.
Likewise, the Sindh reforms will be worthwhile if they are to ensure operational and administrative independence for the department as part of the PSP. It is imperative that the provincial government take feedback from the police department as well as civil society. Otherwise, it will become the subject of another unsavoury controversy, raising questions about the motives behind the move.