De-politicization of police is a must: Dr. Shoaib Suddle

M. M. ALAM

KARACHI: Former top cop Dr. Shoaib Suddle has noted that de-politicization of police was a must for effective working of the criminal justice system in the country.

He was addressing an interactive session as keynote speaker on Police Reforms held here at CPLC office today.

Suddle called upon the civil society, media and lawyers community to jointly struggle for implementation of the laws especially the Police Order 2001.

Observing that rights were not given but taken, Suddle held that citizens’ activism through courts was an encouraging sign to ensure protection of rights given under the Constitution.

According to him Police Order 2002 is much better as compared to such laws in many countries.

Tracing back the formation of policing system in the unified India by British rulers Dr. Suddle said that in 1856 the Indian Board of Governors of East India Company had already decided to make a Police Law on the same pattern of London Police Law.

But in the meantime 1857 mutiny happened so that British rulers framed the law in 1861 on the Irish model. They implemented the London model police law in only three major cities of India, Calcutta, Madras and Bombay.

After the independence, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had pledged to introduce the Bombay Model police law in Karachi, but bureaucracy failed to fulfill that promise.

Later, different commissions were formed to create a new Police, which gave their recommendations. Finally the 2001 law was passed.

Before its full implementation, the Police Order of 2001 was resisted by the politicians who said they needed SHOs to win elections in their areas, so the new law was not accepted to them.

Over 100 amendments were made in Police Order since its passage, Suddle informed.  

According to him law and order has always been provincial subject, but Police laws have been federal law and Police services are also at federal level.

In 2003 the Lahore High Court had given a verdict that federal Police Order 2001 had a validity to be implemented in all provinces.

Giving example of other countries, Suddle said Malaysia has federal system, and their police law. Similarly, Nepal’s parliament passed a new Constitution in 2015 after more than two years’ debate.

It has clearly been put in the law that the crimes of terrorism or inter-provinces and international nature would be investigated by the federal government.

Suddle pointed out that Police Order 2001 allows independent recruitment in police and it provides accountability procedure.

Holding that KP Police law was much better, Suddle noted: “KP has depoliticized police and there is no role of the government in posting and transfer of police officers.

Suddle said Police order was constitutional validity as Parliament under the 17th and 18th Amendments has declared it a valid law.

According to the existing system, for appointment of Inspector General of Police and Chief Secretary the federal government and provincial governments will consult and once an IG is appointed the province cannot remove him by itself before expiry of three year term.

Kashif Paracha, General Secretary Sindh High Court Bar Association pointed towards a judgment of SHC that says fundamental rights should be taught in curriculum but it has not been implemented yet.

“Besides operational and administrative autonomy financial autonomy is also essential for police. Moreover, internal accountability system within police system is important”, Paracha added.

Saud Mirza, former Sindh Police Chief opined: “You have to make police independent…depoliticize and humanize it,” he said.

Holding that before Pakistan there was a strong Police system in Sindh, Saud Mirza told that Charles Napier had passed an order empowering Policemen take action against Army officers.

Quoting an example from the history Saud Mirza told how a Police officer punished two army personnel corporeally.  

Former CPLC Chief Nazim F. Haji said Police system here was infested with corruption.

“It is outdated, arbitrary, whimsical with inadequate accountability and poor incentives”, Nazim F. Haji said.

CPLC Chief Zubair Ibrahim and other members of the CPCL also spoke on the occasion.

PILER’s Karamat Ali, stressing that Police should be apolitical, said: “We hope the fundamental rights, based on equality based citizenship be provided to all people irrespective of any difference of sex, religion and sect” he said.

 

 

 

M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.