CJP asks govt to act sensibly: Punjab Police postings portray political interference

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad on Friday voiced apprehensions over the law and order situation in the country and expressed concern on the gang-rape on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway and the lack of security by the police. He said the incident is shameful.

He was speaking at the closing ceremony of a training workshop for district commercial courts’ judges held by the Punjab Judicial Academy. He said transfers in the Punjab Police hinted at political interference.

He said the policing in the country had been politicised and as a result, life and property of people are not safe. “Even innocent travelers on the highway meet serious crime like the one we had two days back and it is shameful to note that neither any security system was placed on the highway nor any safety mechanism,” regretted the CJP.

He said the government should work with vigilance. It looks as if the police department is being controlled by inefficient people that deteriorated law and order in the country. He said the government needs to wake up and immediately restore the credibility of the police department by allowing its ranks to take initiative and decide the issues of the department themselves. The chief justice said maintaining law and order is a prime function of the government and in this regard, effective policing is indispensable.

Referring to the recent row over the transfer of senior police officials in Punjab, the CJP said the developments are also a sign of deteriorating policing system and level of political interference in the police department. He said no police force could function as a disciplined, professional force which guarantees safety of people’s life and property until it is de-shackled from politics. He lamented that the policing in the country seems to be in the hands of unprofessional persons which has seriously eroded the law and order situation. He lauded the efforts of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, Justice Shahid Karim and the Judicial Academy for capacity building of judicial officers.

He said the judges need to be trained to become expert and they have to be provided with all requisite facilities. He said the creation of dedicated, well-structured commercial courts should also be replicated in the remaining three provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory. The training workshop was held in collaboration with the World Bank and the Punjab Planning and Development Department.