ISLAMABAD: Political interference has been a chronic concern for law enforcing agencies.When duality comes in command, the authority dilutes and the alternate ways are found to accomplish someone’s objective and the whole mess affects the system. If a big gun manages to appoint Station House Officer (SHO) of his choice, he will serve as his ‘Munshi’ (vernacular clerk) and a Munshi cannot be fair-minded, IGP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) said. However, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) police are enjoying absolute zero political meddling. Balochistan police are also not facing such intervention from the ruling party. But the Punjab and Sindh governments could not dilute the political pressure on police, top retired police personalities opined.Punjab and Sindh police claimed when contacted by this correspondent that they were not facing political influence. However, they were bound to follow government policies to counter terrorism and crimes. The situation in AJK and GB is not different where police are totally helpless to deliver justice and quality services at police stations due to massive interference from politicians and bureaucrats. “Can a politician or bureaucrat interfere in the recruitment, transfer or posting of armed forces? Can you get a battalion commander, brigade commander or corps commander posted on political or bureaucratic connection and then expect from him to win the war? Pakistan is passing through a war-like situation where police are frontline force fighting internal terrorism in streets and towns. This war can only be won if police forces are ensured the kind of autonomy given to armed forces of Pakistan,” a senior police officer commented. Various studies on policing systems worldwide have shown that police departments can only deliver if they are given operational independence, without any political or bureaucratic interference in their working. The USA, Canada, Japan, and other European police organisations are totally independent in their internal working without any interference from politicians or bureaucrats. The famous Scotland Yard is known for its operational independence in conducting its operational matters and investigations. However, the situation in Pakistan is quite different. All the political leaders talk about police autonomy but prefer to use police as an instrument of coercion when coming to power. One can hardly find a few SHOs in over 1,300 police stations of Pakistan who have been posted without political or bureaucratic interference. Analysts claimed that the situation in Punjab, the most populated and crime-infested province, is the worst in terms of political and bureaucratic interference in the operational matters of the police. A top police officer placed at Central Police Office was of the view that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab has been posted as a puppet police chief, whereas, all postings, transfers and direction of investigations is decided by a small group of bureaucrats in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Lahore. He believed that hardly any RPO, CPO, DPO, SDPO, SHO or even Moharrar has been posted without interference from this “Lahore Group of Bureaucrats”. The result is poor performance of the Punjab police in handling security situations, law and order, crime prevention and detection, and delivery of quality policing services to the people of Punjab. Sindh was the worst during the last five years in terms of political and bureaucratic interference in police department where massive recruitments, irregular promotions and induction at senior police grades were done by the previous government. The Supreme Court, in its judgment No 89/ 2011, cancelled many of these political appointments. However, Sindh under the PPP regime has shown some resistance in politically motivated postings in Karachi; especially they have resisted removing well reputed CCPO Karachi, Shahid Hayat Khan, who is leading the Karachi operation. However, the situation in rest of the province is same. Background interviews have revealed that corrupt officers appointed through political connections are ruling the roost. The provincial government has not given any operational independence to Shahid Baloch and anxiously waiting for his retirement next month to post provincial police chief of their choice. The sources have also revealed that mafias are active to get CCPO Karachi replaced after retirement of incumbent IGP, Sindh. Islamabad Capital Territory Police have become the first police organisation in Pakistan which has been safeguarded from all sorts of political and bureaucratic interference in its operational working under the current regime. The research and analysis show that no police organisation is safe from political and bureaucratic interference in recruitment, transfers, postings, operations and crime investigations ever since the creation of Pakistan. Islamabad capital police have been a victim of political and bureaucratic interference from ministers, parliamentarians, local politicians and land mafia as well as hundreds of bureaucrats posted in the federal secretariat of Islamabad. The police officers of all ranks and files used to look for god-fathers among politicians, bureaucrats and land mafias to get postings in favorite police stations as Moharrars, investigation officers, Stations House Officers (SHOs) and Sub Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs). Consequently, supervisory officers, SSPs and inspector generals, were totally helpless to control these officers from indulging in corruption, faulty and biased investigations, poor performance in preventing and detecting crimes, human rights violations, and misbehaviours with the public. The analysis by this scribe reveals that KP police department is also blessed to be safe from the political and bureaucratic interference under the current PTI-led government.Since his posting as Inspector General of Police KP, Nasir Khan Durrani has been commanding the force without any interference in the working of the police by the KP chief minister or PTI chief Imran Khan. The sources revealed that all 24 District Police Officers (DPOs) in the KP province have been posted through professional channels of command without interference by the political and bureaucratic bosses. The sources also confirmed that even the home secretary himself a senior police officer, Akhtar Ali Shah, is not interfering in the police operation matters. The situation in Balochistan province is also better because Balochistan chief minister is himself a well reputed politician and has given some operational independence to Police Chief Mushtaq Sukhera known as a hard task master and honest police officer. However, police are hardly controlling 5 percent of the vast province in A-Area only whereas B-Area is under the control of bureaucrats through levies force and is being run on the primitive tribal based policing system. This is irony that police reforms, implemented in Balochistan by former IGP Dr Shoaib Suddle, were later done away with through bureaucratic conspiracies and centuries-old Levies system was restored. The Police Order 2002 contains strict internal as well as external accountability through oversight of public safety commission at district, provincial and federal levels. But, all have been either distorted or reverted by politicians and bureaucrats for keeping the police forces at their beck and call. IGP Nasir Khan Durrani told this correspondent, “I am enjoying myself complete operational autonomy.” He said there is zero interference from the government of KP in police matters. “I am trying to change the corrupt police system with the belief if the police culture is regulated, the justice system will perk up and consequently, overall governance will be improved,” Durrani concluded. “Political interference in ICT police is absolute zero, in terms of physics, it is minus 273 degree,” Inspector General of the ICT Police, Sikandar Hayat, said when contacted for his comments. IGP Balochistan, Mushtaq Sukhaira, on a question, said, “Political influence obviously disturbs the enforcement of law. But it is near zero in the province. The chief minister never interfered in police working, however, the social culture in Balochistan is much different from the other provinces of the country as Sardars try to dominate the system,” the IGP Balochistan maintained. A spokesperson for the Punjab Police, Anila Ghazanfar, said, “Political interference at every level should be discouraged, which definitely leaves a bad impact on the effective policing. However, the police have to follow policies of the government to combat crime and terrorism.” How the crime could be controlled effectively when politicians manage to appoint the SHO of their own choices, she said. “Punjab chief minister discourages the political interference, especially, in police system,” she maintained. She claimed that there was no political interference in the Punjab police. IGP Sindh Shahid Nadeem Baluch could not be contacted despite repeated calls and messages on his mobile phone. A spokesman for the Sindh police said the IGP was busy in operational duties and the Sindh police were not facing any kind of political intervention. Secretary to Punjab chief minister and spokesman for CM Secretariat, Dr Tauqir Shah replied to ten different queries from The News saying, “The Punjab government believes in merit and transparency. The IGP is the senior most amongst all IGPs serving in various regions and provinces of Pakistan and he is well reputed, professional, firm and people-friendly. He took over all the appointments of RPOs, DPOs and Addl IGs. The DIGs in CPO were appointed from the panel recommended by the IGP. Appointment of the SHOs is the responsibility of the respective DPOs and CPOs. Chief Minister’s Office maintains a zero interference strategy at the SHO level and neither does it allow others to interfere. There is no room for political maneuvering or pick and choose by any one. “There is no fact in the allegation that SHOs are appointed on political basis. In fact the chief minister is extremely averse to the idea of interference at the operational level, be it political or by government officials. “Policing is a social function rather than a technical matter. Police forces like all other pubic functionaries, in all developed countries are accountable to the people as per democratic norms. Punjab chief minister has set up a broad–based multi-stakeholder cabinet sub-committee comprising two provincial ministers, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Prosecution (Retired Inspector General of Police Rana Maqbool), Inspector General of Police, Additional IG CTD and Addl IG Special Branch, Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary Law, Secretary Prosecution, Prosecutor General, Advocate General and representatives of IB, ISI and Military Intelligence. “The committee provides policy guidance to all law enforcement agencies including the police. It also serves for better coordination between police, intelligence agencies, prosecution, prisons and judiciary, without which no anti-terrorism campaign can be conceived. “The government does not believe in class interest of any cadre or service, be it DMG (now PAS), PSP, PCS, PMS, it only believes in public interest and welfare of the people.” Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said all appointments made in Sindh Police during last five years had been on merit according to his information. Sharjeel said that allegation of appointments on political ground were baseless. He said that PPP government had made it sure during last five years that all appointments from SHOs to DPOs in interior Sindh must be made on merit and without any political interference. He insisted that Sindh police performance had been exceptional during last five years and it had eliminated many criminals, gangsters and Taliban. He said Rehman Dakait and many others were killed while likes of Ajmal Pahari were arrested and all evidence were produced before courts. He said that Sindh police even arrested killers of brave Geo News reporter Wali Khan Babar. Sharjeel Memon said despite all sacrifices and this exceptional performance of Sindh police, the overall result and net outcome became zero as courts released all criminals and mass murderers like Ajaml Pahari ignoring evidence. He maintained that even exceptional performance of police and sacrifices would yield no result if judiciary could not become independent and could give judgments on merit on the basis of evidence without any fear. He said almost all top criminals and terrorists had been freed by the courts despite the fact that the police presented solid evidence.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Feb 2014 01:19:19 +0000
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