Rawalpindi: What goes on inside the police stations in Punjab could easily be compared with the conditions one would have faced in some concentration camp during the World War-II.Use of ‘Third Degree’ torture and emotional blackmail to extract confessions from the alleged criminals has become part of the interrogation and investigation procedure in the police stations.The darkened police lock up (hawalat), where the interrogation procedure starts is a darkened dungeon, smelling of blood, sweat and even urine of the alleged criminals. The best mode of extracting money (bribe) from the family members of the criminal under interrogation is very simple. Father, or mother, or brother or some uncle is called to sit in the next room to this ‘interrogation cell’ where they can clearly hear the sobs, screams and pleadings of their relative pouring out with each thud, smack or slap.It would not take much time for them to break down and succumb to the demands of the police to save their relative from police torture. The money is paid not to get the alleged criminal from the clutches of police but only to spare him of physical torture that one is being subjected to.This situation or conditions prevail in almost each and every police station of the province of the Punjab and Sindh but this particular treatment is not confined to the alleged criminals. This is the most popular and favourite method employed by the rich, powerful and influential, particularly the politicians and landlords, for arm twisting of their opponents.It may sound unbelievable but this is such a common happening in Punjab, especially in the rural areas, when the ‘Thanaydar’ (Station House Officer) of a police station will receive a call. The rest majority of people can imagine as to what must have happened to the young man after this conversation. This is a very common happening in Punjab’s rural areas and even in cities.Now the fact is that when the Inspector-General or the Regional Police Officer or the Chief City Police Officer (CCPO) or the City Police Officer (CPO) will talk in public and extend assurance to all that everybody will be dealt with in accordance with the law and there will be no discrimination in dispensation of justice by police, they must have been speaking from the core of their hearts. We believe that a vast majority of these officers actually meant what they are saying.But what they don’t do is to listen to the public grievances against accesses of police. They should realize that in this society where ‘Thana Culture’ has transformed the lower ranks of police into unbridled monsters, those sitting on top should actually listen to such public complaints against police and hold meaningful and impartial inquiries into such incidents.Marking such complaints for inquiry to an officer of the same rank or one rank above will never produce any positive results because they have always protected their brethren in uniform.One wonders if any department or organization has been keeping record of such complaints from public against police and how many out of those have been concluded in recommending any kind of action against such police officials against whom complaints have been filed.It is already painfully delayed but still it is high time that the government may devise a system in which the complaints against the police officers or officials should be investigated by the credible persons from the department other then the police. This has been observed that the departmental inquiries have neither produced the desired results, nor have made an impact on the behaviour and attitude of police.We wonder if it would be a big problem if the government may form a panel of retired judges, comprising three judges, in each division, which may conduct inquiry in such complaints from public against the police at division level all over Pakistan.A former Inspector-General of Police, Zulfiqar Cheema, said that even in the prevailing circumstances, he was still optimistic for police reforms that would lead to a change in abhor able 'Thana Culture'. “This expired system from the British era can be changed by a simple order. It is painstaking exercise that could be implemented with commitment, determination and passion,” he maintained.
from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2XA0IXW
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