Speaking at an event recently to honour police officers who had recovered a kidnapped child, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif underscored the need to make police stations symbols of protection where complainants are given respect and provided justice so that ordinary people do not hesitate to seek their help. He mentioned some of the steps his government had taken to improve police performance such as the recruitment of 15,000 constables on merit, appointment of assistant sub-inspectors through the Punjab Public Service Commission, and increase in salaries.
Experienced and competent people are being posted in the department's regional, capital city, and district offices, said the CM. These are all laudable thoughts and steps, but unlikely to bring about a significant improvement in the way police deal with the people belonging to weaker sections of society.
More than anything else, there is a need to change the mindset which is a legacy of the British colonial rule. The colonialists wanted the local people to fear the police so as to control the population living under their subjugation. Unfortunately, after independence, the new local rulers carried on that policy. Instead of serving the people the police continued to serve the interests of the ruling classes. They still control recruitments, postings and transfers made on the basis of political considerations or the say-so of powerful individuals rather than merit. Over the years, some feeble attempts at reform have been made. Most notable among them is the Police Act, 2002, which is notable for a much-needed betterment in salaries, separation of investigation from law and order maintenance functions. Yet policing is unresponsive to the demands of the rule of law. As the chilling lynching of two brothers - in presence of not one but several policemen, including the city police chief - in Sialkot a couple of years ago shows, nothing much has changed vis-a-vis police's brutality.
A drastic reform aimed at achieving high ethical and professional standards is in order. First of all, training courses in all police training schools must be reviewed with a view to inculcate respect for human dignity and rule of law. Second, the old practice of eliciting confessional statements from prisoners through use of torture must stop. In any case, such evidence oftentimes is flawed. It is not uncommon for an accused to break under pressure and confess crimes they never committed. Investigation techniques ought to be modernised, and those in charge equipped with the necessary evidence collection paraphernalia. Third, the police must be freed from political influence. As long as the federal and provincial governments have control over recruitments, promotions and transfers, senior officers will continue to look towards their political masters for support and feel obliged to please them at the expense of rule of law.