While going through the contemporary social issues of Pakistan, a sentence clicked in my mind that I’ve been hearing since my childhood, “Pakistan Nazuk Dur Say Guzar Raha Hai”(Pakistan is going through a critical phase). Unfortunately, the social issues in Pakistan remain the same as they were a few decades ago. The main reason behind these social issues being in place for so long is the institutional and moral bankruptcy in Pakistan. To deal with these social issues, we need a strong political will and a resolve as a nation. One of the major social problems of Pakistan is poor law enforcement. Despite giving vague arguments, I’ll try to base my arguments on logic and statistics.
Poor law enforcement in Pakistan is a deeply rooted social issue. The issue has progressed immensely over time. The sorry state of law enforcement in Pakistan is immensely reflected in the miserable situation of law enforcement agencies. Before discussing the core problem, it is essential to have a look at the institutional complications and barriers which are the root cause of poor law enforcement in Pakistan.
To purpose structural reforms, it is important to have a basic understanding of the structural organization of law enforcement in Pakistan. Law enforcement in Pakistan is divided into two sets: first are those agencies and organizations which come directly under the federal government, these agencies mainly deal with law enforcement responsibilities that include policing, border surveillance, and intelligence gathering. Second, the police organizations that perform their duties in the provincial domain.
There is a lack of coordination between these agencies because the command of these organizations varies due to which there is no common planning and strategy for enforcing law and order, which results in poor implementation of the policies.
The police in Pakistan, if compared to the police of any other state, is not up to the mark. We’ve been carrying the same police that was established by the British, and the aim was not the protection of the lives and property of the public, but it was formed to terrorize people. The police in Pakistan have been neglected and abused for decades, due to which they have failed to uphold the law and combat crime effectively. There’s broad consensus among the people of all sects that the police have miserably failed to provide people with security.
In law enforcement agencies in Pakistan, Police mainly lack professionalism. They are not properly trained for the investigation and management of criminal cases. Besides all these issues, police don’t have access to up-to-date equipment e.g., forensic labs without which the investigation is almost impossible. Deep politicization of police and personal favoritism have also haunted the institutional performance of the police. Political interference is the biggest hurdle in the way of provision of justice and relief to the common public. Lack of modernization, scant resources, institutional disconnect, political challenges, and corruption have all contributed to this social issue and the sorry state of law enforcement in Pakistan. For a population of around 210 million, the number of law enforcement forces is 820,000. This equates to one police officer for every 304 people. Keeping in view the increase in the number of crimes, coupled with the insurgency in the Baluchistan province, these numbers are not as good as they should have been. Without having recruited experts who understand the dynamics of security and investigation, law enforcement would be nothing more than a daydream.
Law enforcement and police reforms have never been on the priority list of policymakers as a result the organization of these law enforcement agencies is poor. Many committees and Commissions were established for police reforms, but the recommendations and purpose of reforms were never implemented in a true sense due to the lack of political will. The government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) did promise police reforms in their manifesto. Nasir Khan Durrani, former IGP KPK, was appointed as a head of the committee for police reforms in Punjab. Though Durrani tried his best to contribute to police reforms in Pakistan, due to political interference and lack of political will, he was compelled to resign. In only three years of PTI rule in Punjab, Six IGPs were changed.
There is a desperate need for reforms in the law enforcement infrastructure of Pakistan. The political elite does recognize this need. Many reforms have been introduced over time, but all these reforms were never implemented in a true sense. The change of government is also one of the biggest hurdles in institutional reforms, as the new governments often abandon the initiatives taken by the previous government. Institutional reforms can be done in two ways: informative and traditional reforms.
Traditional reforms include the provision of basic facilities, fair salaries, Professional training, readily available resources, and much-needed forensic support coupled with the strengthening of prosecution. Additionally, coordination among the provinces and federal law enforcement would provide a better ground for collective planning and better implementation of policies. Informative reforms include increased public awareness, reforms in the recruitment process, the inclusion of the latest technologies, and working out for advanced mode of training.
To conclude, a strong political will coupled with the desire for reforms within the law enforcement agencies in Pakistan could ensure a better law enforcement situation in the country. The system is not flawed to an extent that it can’t be fixed, the changes and reforms are indeed possible.
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