Efficient policing imperative for masses security.

LAHORE -- Despite repeated plans and strategies, police performance across the country especially in remote areas had been deteriorating over the period, badly shattering the masses' confidence.

People are frequently seen complaining of bribery, nepotism, negligence of duty and political interference in the police service as these ills proved to be lethal for a force already facing the challenges of improper training, obsolete equipment and paucity of funds.

Seeing through the annals of history, the police department was established in the sub-continent as an imperial force by the British regime, in the aftermath of the 1857 war of Independence, to coerce people rather than protecting them.

After the partition in 1947, Pakistan inherited a police infrastructure founded on the Police Act of 1861, a framework that provides an unaccountable, authoritative and oppressive police force. These laws remained in vogue till 2002, when finally, a new reform-oriented police order was promulgated.

But, even the reformed police fell short of generating desired results of being people-friendly while its structure, despite repeated amendments and modifications of the Police Order, is still on way to comprehension.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) lawyer Safdar Shaheen Pirzada says that the country at present has a dual criminal justice system - the federal criminal justice system and the provincial criminal justice system.

'As far as the criminal justice system is concerned, criminal procedure, criminal law and the law of evidence are concurrent subjects for legislation within the scheme procedure of the constitution regarding its articles 142 and 143,' he said.

When asked about vitality of reforming police force, he said, if implemented efficiently, the reforms could have improved existing police system to effectively support counterterrorism and counterinsurgency measures and mitigating extremism in the society.

Advocating need for an efficient police force, former MPA Sajid Bhatti said although police had somehow succeeded in countering some extremist groups in Punjab and defeated insurgency-like situations in Karachi, yet revamping it on modern lines was still required.

'When we extend them full political support and make available required resources, police performs efficiently,' he claimed. 'Their prime duty is to protect victims and potential victims by nabbing offenders through legal procedures and enforcing laws and procedures.'

But, he...