Police and Judicial reform is no Goliath
By Kathay Kalame • Apr 28th, 2009 • Category: Politics • 16 CommentsNo conspiracy against a country can succeed, if the country is not weak from within. Strong law enforcement can thwart any number of efforts on the part of individuals or militant groups to destabilize the country. Rule of law in the civilian population is enforced by the police. Judgement is the business of the courts.
A few simple steps can make a tangible qualitative difference in both. A difference that a person on the street can feel. The example of the motorway police is our starting point. When the government of Pakistan really wants to get something done it gets it done. It raised a new police force that is the standard of professionalism in the country. There is little debate, that motorway police is better educated, better trained and yes better paid than the police in the rest of the country.
For starters the same formula can be applied to the police force in selected citites of Pakistan. A two year pilot program can focus on district Rawalpindi.
Currently there are 6,381 police out of 4.2 million citizens in district Rawalpindi. Their total expense in 2007 was Rs1.4 billion out of which Rs119 million was non-salary expense. That means a salary expense of Rs17,000 per police officer per month for the entire district police. This number runs counter to the notion that police is grossly underpaid. However let’s say we wanted to double the salary of police personnel in the district, and have the people of district rawalpindi pay for it, the additional expense would be about Rs28 per person per month.
A negligible price to pay for greatly enhanced law and order. Now let’s look at their performance. In 2008 15,348 cases were registered, out of which 1,662 were under investigation. Only 1,669 convictions were obtained in 2008 while 4,514 were acquitted. The real sticking point is that about one tenth of cases registered were under investigation, the rest are lying dormant. It is obvious from these statistics that the scope for performance enhancement is quite extensive.
Rs28 per person per month would go a long way in solving this problem. And this is a problem worth solving, one district at a time. The police force will be extremely amenable to reform if the reward a doubling of their salaries. Once can argue that for starters, we don’t need more police personell, we just need the existing ones to be better educated, better trained, better motivated and better paid.
Once a problem is divided down to a manageable unit, the problem does not seem as daunting. Changing the behaviour of 6,400 people is a very manageable task. In terms of a one man job this equal to that of the CEO of a medum sized organization or that of a Brigadier in the army. The money required is also a manageable sum and when divided into the population that will benefit from it, it turns out to be a negligible amount. In comparison, an average family can spend upto 400 times that amount on security guard and that safety does not extend beyond a few feet.
The same formula can be used to upgrade the police in the entire country, one district at a time. A starting point is important. Retrain the police force one district at a time, or one city at a time, bring the pay scales at par with the motorway police. Then take the same model to the courts. There are 54 judges on the Lahore High Court bench and they are responsible for all of punjab which is about 70 million people. Increasing this number ten fold should not make a dent of any noticable nature in the treasury. It will however guarantee a more accessible and responsive justice system. Something, I suspect, the ruling elite of this country fear.
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Katahy:
You’re quite right. Corruption is rampant in our judicial system. Even the so called ‘restored judiciary’ is not free of corruption. The SC of restored CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry, in a highly questionable and controversial decision recently released a very dangerous and notorious terrorist. Now people are really questioning why CJ Ittikar Chaudhry is being so sympathetic to the Islamic Extremists.
You can read my detailed analysis on this issue in my article titled ‘Why is Our Proactive Judiciary Silent?’, published here in the politics section.
this is an excellent post and quite timely as the country is badly in need of judicial reforms and the government must pay attention to training and other aspects of the police force. I believe that instead of new recruitment in police force the existing force should be trimmed and better equipped as also there is need to raise salaries of the police personnel.
thank you for posting such a nice report.
Here is a beautiful poem written in tribute to the great Quaid of Millions of Middle Class and Poor Pakistanis Altaf Hussain Bhai…Please do share it with others
TRIBUTE TO A GREAT LEADER Mr. ALTAF HUSSAIN
BY SYED KAMRAN
There are many kinds of leaders
But there are very few
Who turn out to be good leaders
And excel in all they do they do.
The way things ought to be
And sets a good example for
Everyone to see.
He teaches us to try our best
And strives to make us better
Yet must insist the rules be met
Right down to the letter.
Fairness and integrity
Must be realized
They play the most important part
And can’t be compromised.
Talent on this level
Can’t be found everywhere
But i know one great leader.
His name is Altaf Hussain
kathay
you have touched the real nerve of problem.if our management would have been gotten this point at an early stage of this terrorism period,we could have avoided such kind of huge loses that has now left many scars on our injured environment.We still could not change the selection of police personals or can say select any right criteria for selecting a police man for our system.Since now these young are selected by MNA/MPA or personal selection of local DPOs.Bribe money from the range of 2 to 10 lakhs are given to these selectors for final selection.So poor people who learn first lesson before joining this important department are bribe and favoritism so what they can do during their training.Among the trainees, the best one are selected for security of VIPS and those who are not considered to be vigilant are sent for public service.
Our interior ministry through out this period didn’t realize the criticality of this agency even in intelligence sections it was intently ignored by our planners sitting in Islambad.Kamal shah a strongest character of interior ministry who is controlling this department for last 8 years but no body is asking him for complete intelligence failures or actions in many important cases.
You are right that foundation of motorway police , new traffic wardens and now considerable rise in pays are good signs of improvement but we still lacksto provide them opportunities for proper training that can tune them with present existing conditions.Those who breach our securities are well aware of and even get better and daring training then our poor policemen.So they have much better intelligence and training services then our police academies.
Kathay:
Most of all, our incumbent ‘restored’ CJ is an extremist sympathizer, who released the most dangerous terrorist Moulvi Abdul Aziz. How can one forget this really?
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OK hassan stick to your allegations and file a case against CJP with your original name and with all charges you want to put form your side.Sent me your case and I will take it to SC by my self for submission and follow.I can only do this practical thing for you that can reduce your unjustified anger cum propaganda.Come on as I know yours whole life has been passed with lawyers’ community.I hope you will take my help in forwarding this case and will not take as joke. I again hope that you have no doubts on my credibility of my words.Lets see how you use yours foxy skills for highlighting yours opinion in front of SC and all reports and events will be recorded on tps.
This is ok then come and show your actual and practical talent to me.
Nazia: If you can file a case in Supreme Court on my behalf, I’ll be very thankful! I’ll provide you all the evidence in this regard.
And I’ve never happened to confront a lawyer Nazia. There are no lawyers in my family, though we have many doctors, professors, engineers and armymen…I’m a 23 year old guy who has just completed his undergraduate studies a few months back in January. I never had time for such stupid and worthless causes as the so called ‘lawyers movement’. It is only now, after graduating that I find time, after work, for condemning the wrongs that our CJ committed, before and after his ’second coming’ (2nd restoration)
and I don’t understand what you really mean by my ‘foxy’ skills…please explain….
tell me how can I file a case in the SC….I’m not joking, I’m really serious.
Hasan
I am serious too.just write an application to directly on the name of CJP and attach your all allegations or yours writing in TPS on this context.As a citizen this is yours legal right to challenge SC verdicts that you think is directly linked with national interests.You have to give yours all contact details in it so when your application is considered for review they would directly call you.So prepare yours document and then let me know how I will get it to submission directly in SC office.You can directly sent it to but no harm if I will get it and directly submit to CJP office.
Its good you have no time for lawyer’s movement as you have kept your all energy confined to limited circle of praising mqm policy only.But again its yours personal matter but I am waiting for yours application to get ready in this week for submission.
Rashid Saeed (comment No. 3):
Thanks for sharing this inspiring piece of poetry with all of us.
What a lovely poem dedicated by Syed Kamran to great national leader Altaf Hussain Bhai. In fact, he is a true leader of the people, voice of the oppressed and the poor classes. He teaches us with example, not mere words. A man of honour and exalted character, who has himself sacrificed so much for his country, his people. He still struggles day and night as the leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, so that his people, his country can prosper. We, the poor and oppressed people of Pakistan not only respect Altaf Hussain Bhai, but we adore him.
Jeeay Muttahida……….Jeeay Altaf Hussain Bhai
Nazia:
See, what a beautiful and inspiring poem Rashid Saeed Sahab shared with us in comment 3, written by some Syed Kamran. This is how people show their love for great leaders.
Nazia:
Are you a lawyer by profession?
I know of my rights as a citizen, but doubt that the SC of Justice Chaudry Iftikar will be able to do any justice. You know, even today our ex-President Musharraf says that CJ Chaudhry is a corrupt person and he only exploited the political situation to divert public attention from the serious allegations of corruption filed by the government in the Supreme Judicial Council, which being bised to the political situation, overlooked that substantial body of evidence and restored this corrupt judge for the first time. Anyway, Let me collect all the relevant evidence so that I can make a comprehensive application. Then I’ll tell you.
Hasan
stop your Fm radio and concentrate on present Karachi situation.Karachi is burning and we are feeling pain of it.Bring us real picture as we did in long march event or in srilanka attack case.till that 23 people are dead.I know one person zaidi of gulshan- Iqbal was killed by unknown assailants yesterday.he was basically mohjair and then joined PML n after developing serious conflict with mqm management.,Its good to see after long time we are seeing some actions of law enforcing agencies that was absence from scene for last years.As per my information there is serious disturbances are being arisen in phelwan goth, safoora goth, blaoch colony , ajmer sharif and heavy firing in hyderi areas.
Now stop your eulogistic poems for your coward,and runaway leader as we never bother to read it and feel the pain of Krachi people.You know for last 36 hrs model colony is without electricity so tell your UK based leader to start his juice hunger strike on urgent basis and ask people of Karachi (given 97% vote to him) to opt peace on the call of their popular leader.
I am giving you full authority to register all actions of CJP that you highly disliked.I will go to SC for filing this complain with my all sources.I am not lawyer by profession so dont worry I will not distort your any thing.TPS will be witness all case that you will give me and crystal clear procedure will be adopted so that no doubt will be left in your mind.
One more thing I have to inform your that maulana abdul aziz has gone for ummrah with all facilities provided to him and his friends with state honors,He was escorted by rangers and Islamabad police and got all easy go facilities to reach to saudia for some kind of ummrah.I am telling you in this context that for applying for ummrah you at least require a month for completing routine formality if I plan for this trip.So you can also put these charges on CJP account in your coming application against his performance.
Nazia:
Whatever happening in Karachi is really really sad. It’s all the Land Mafia plus Taliban, who are fueling tensions and violence of all sorts in Karachi, just because the Karachi City Government had been taking stern action against land grabbers. Don’t worry all stake-holders i.e. MQM, PPP and ANP have a consensus in crushing all sorts of terrorist activity.
Let me tell you that I was just hearing the heartening peace appeal of MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain Bhai. He has appealed to all the people of Karachi, belonging to all ethnicities and all classes to remain calm and to assist the law enforcement agencies in hunting down the terrorists. See, this is the quality of leadership. Tell me which other leader had made such a prompt appeal for peace? Altaf Hussain Bhai may be 10,000 miles away from his dear homeland and his people, yet, he shares the pain and sorrow of his people. He leads them by example. This is why people love him and listen to him.
Nazia: Altaf Bhai’s exile is not his own choice. He yearns for the day when we will return to his dear homeland. However, it is the people, the poor people, who always beg Altaf Hussain Bhai to stay abroad in exile, becasue the people want safety their respected Quaid, at a safe location, so that he can effectively work and lead the struggle for the rights and welfare of the poor people, the middle classes. I hope you understand. This is how we the middle class people love and respect our leader. This is the quality of leadership. And this devoted leadership and inspired so many yougnsters from among the middle classes and poor people of Pakistan to come forth and serve their people. See Syed Mustafa Kamal, the 2nd Best Mayor (Nazim) in the World as declared by the Foreign Policy Magazine. He belongs to a poor family and Altaf Hussain Bhai only nominated him as candidate for Nazim’s election because of his motivation to serve the people. Syed Mustafa Kamal didn’t even have money to buy a decent suit. So when he went to London to attend MQM meeting, Altaf Hussain Bhai took him for shopping and bought him new clothes. And look how well Mustafa Kamal is serving Karachi and its people. Karachi has never seen such massive development in the past 100 years, that it is witnessing under the able City Government leadership of MQM. This is what is called selfless service.
You often seem to have difficulty in understanding why poor people love Altaf Hussain Bhai and our MQM. May be you don’t know what life for the poor classes, the middle classes is. I know what life is for the middle class is , because I belong to the middle class. When I respond in detail to your misconceptions about MQM, you term them as a product of my ‘foxy skills’. Madam: Is being able to write a ‘foxy skill’ ?
Everyone knows that your PPP, PML-N, Moulana Parties etc etc are parties run by feudals, business tycoons and billionaires. Your PML-N Sharif Mians are billionaire….and what have they done for the people? And look at MQM…a party of poor middle class people, run by the poor middle class people, that works for the middle class people. MQM is not run by billionaires, yet it is doing poor people, service of such great magnitude that there is no instance of any other party being able to do that in our national history. THIS IS WHY WE THE POOR MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE LOVE MQM!
Madam:
You mentioned FM. I’m an engineering graduate, so I can tell you that your mind has a political band-stop or notch filter, which allows you to recieve signals of all frequencies, other than the MQM band. This is why you have so many misconceptions about MQM. I suggest that you better use a High-pass filter, with a cut-off frequency at 0 Hz, so that you are able to recieve all signals above 0 Hz. So this will allow you to recieve signals from all stations, your favourite PML-N, plus PPP, MQM, ANP etc etc with equal attenuation. In term of electronic circuits, converting a notch filter to a High Pass filter is relatively simple, with slight changes in the series/parallel combinations of resistors and capacitors……I really wonder, if implementation of filters in human mind is also that simple. Please try to modify the ‘political’ notch-filter/band-stop filter in you mind to a ‘political’ High Pass filter. It will help you get rid of all the misconceptions that you harbour regarding the third largest political party MQM and its Quaid Altaf Hussain Bhai.
Kindly don’t feel offended by the above analogy. I never meant to offend you with this electronics analogy, by comparing your narrow political thinking with an electronic notch-filter.
Madam: Please take my comments positively.
Jeeay Muttahida….Jeeay Altaf Hussain Bhai!
Nazia: we’ve not heard from you so far. May be you’re busy orgnizing some Mazdoor Rally, as today is the labour day.
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