he use of body cameras by the Punjab Police can be transformative. If such a project is implemented, it could reduce the traditional police excess and abuse.

During its 2017-18 tenure, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government had initiated a plan to use body cameras. The Safe City Authority provided 50 body cameras to the Lahore Police’s Operation Wing for a pilot project. However, many questions remain unanswered: where are the body cameras that were supposed to be installed previously? Were they used, and if so, what were the results? Is there any data available regarding that pilot project?

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision to ensure law and order deserves appreciation. If Maryam Nawaz succeeds in equipping the Punjab Police with body cameras as part of their uniform, it could expose corrupt elements within the police force and protect innocent people from cruelty and injustice, leading to significant positive change.

Recently, the Home Department directed the police to prepare an emergency proposal for using body cameras. This indicates that the government is serious about addressing issues in crime control.

Interior Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal has sought suggestions from IG Dr Usman Anwar to initiate a model project as per Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s directive. The project will be launched in Lahore District to evaluate the performance and behaviour related to body cameras, with results to be reported to the CM for a potential province-wide rollout.

Sources within the Home Department have claimed that some police officials are opposed to the use of body cameras, as they prefer traditional policing methods that may shield them from accountability. However, it is crucial to consider who will be responsible for the security of the footage recorded during police operations, actions, encounters, and raids.

CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision to ensure law and order deserves appreciation. If she succeeds in equipping the police with body cameras as part of their uniform, it could expose corrupt elements within the police force and protect innocent people from cruelty and injustice, leading to significant positive change.

Will the police be able to protect these videos? These concerns arise from recent incidents where such videos, such as those in the Khalilur Rehman Qamar case, were allegedly leaked from within the police department.

As a first step, the police should develop a method for securely handling and utilizing highly sensitive videos produced by body cameras as evidence. Several officials in the Organised Crime Unit believe that body cameras are suitable for police operations, investigations, and for traffic wardens but not for the OCU. On the other hand, Home Department officials suggest that with the help of the Punjab Information Technology Board, a system could be created where body camera recordings are directly saved to a server at the Home Department, enabling monitoring of police performance.

Improving the deteriorating law and order situation requires accountability from the police. Otherwise, conditions will not improve as the police are currently not accountable to anyone. Body cameras, used in many developed countries, have been shown to improve police performance. Recent data from police indicates that crime rates in Lahore have decreased by 40 percent. The city’s top cop, Bilal Siddique Kamiyana, stated that the department has not granted any concessions to its officers, and strict internal accountability is a significant factor in the crime rate reduction.

Citizens have responded positively to the news that the police will be using body cameras with live streaming. They perceive this step as a significant improvement in policing, believing that it will hold police officials accountable with proper evidence.

The writer is a senior special correspondent in Daily Jang. He also writes a column Kehne Do