The report of a one-member judicial commission being formed to investigate a case of police brutality in
Peshawar this June finds officers responsible for dishonoring the dignity and manhandling of Radiullah.
Acting following the report’s findings, Peshawar Police has suspended the cops involved in the incident.
However, dismissing one or two officers from the job is not enough to make police officials learn about
the concepts of individuals’ fundamental rights and dignity. Torture in police custody remains a
problem.
The police brutality that ordinary folks experience quite frequently has widened the gap
between police and the masses. They fear law enforcement officials; ordinary folks do not think of cops
as their protector. The higher-ups in the department need to inculcate professionalism in the cops.
It is high time for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf The previous rhetoric of improving KP Police has lost its
charm. What is problematic is the fact that even the top cops also lack professionalism. Take the words
of the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh, for instance.
His comments on the courts discouraging the police by releasing suspects are inherently problematic. What else can the courts do if
the charge sheet against a suspect is weak? Investigating thoroughly and offering up concrete evidence
against a suspect is the police’s job. The courts cannot act according to the wishes of the police.
However, before anything else, the state needs to introduce domestic laws that criminalize torture.
Though Pakistan’s Constitution does prohibit the use of torture, however, lack of accountability allows
the police to rely on torture for investigating and extracting evidence. It is sad to mention that many
members of the police in Pakistan have gotten desensitized. We now require that the police be
educated on fundamental rights that the Constitution of Pakistan grants to the people.
