Handcuffing police

The police in Pakistan are frequently accused of incompetence and unprofessionalism, many see them as incapable of preserving law and order and even as a source of lawlessness themselves. While reading the book ‘Pakistan: A Hard Country’ by the British journalist Anatol Lieven, I learnt how the influence of powerful and wealthy individuals often undermines honest police work, enabling criminals to operate without fear.

The police cannot perform their functions if the elites are bent on corrupting their independence and using them as a tool for their own ends. Furthermore, the police are grossly underfunded and often lack the means to perform their job. If we want a good police force we have to pay for one, and the wealthiest individuals deserve much of the blame for not doing so.

Hasnain Altaf

Karachi