Living in a society where even the smallest seat of power makes one entitled to put on a disproportionate and unjustifiable show of his force, we should have been well prepared for the unsavoury scene that unfolded in Multan. Clearly, the said police officer must have been left with no choice other than aggressively pulling a senior citizen off his motorcycle, dragging him to a side and reeling off a string of vile abuses. How dare a commoner disrupt the sanctity of a VVIP route?
\nWhile social media erupted in outrage, it underscores a pervasive culture of brutality and disregard for human dignity that has long plagued our police. Although Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz\u2019s suspension order of the concerned officer is commendable, simply exclaiming that she would not allow anyone to oppress the common man does not even begin to scratch the surface of what needs to be done. No knee-jerk measures can help the authorities avoid the elephant in the room: police brutality. Between dragging suspects like animals, and beating protestors with batons and water cannons among other military tactics, our police force religiously believes in behaving like men of violence.
\nEveryone in Pakistan has long been aware of the police culture in vogue. There\u2019s no denying it. There\u2019s no way to defend it. Similarly, clear is the need for sweeping reforms. This includes rigorous training programs focused on human rights and ethical policing. The culture of silence surrounding these abuses must also be shattered, allowing citizens and fellow officers to speak out without fear.
\nThe rot has long been allowed to go deep within the roots and until the authorities are ready to establish transparency \u2013 harnessing the potential of community trust \u2013 such events will continue to slip into the shadows of our collective memory. May it be extrajudicial murders, politicisation of the police, elite influence or extortion rackets, every single violation of their oath occurs because the unformed do not think they are doing anything wrong.
\nNothing on the cards suggests otherwise. Temporary suspensions and press conferences cannot make do for true accountability, which rebuilds police character, moving away from the colonial hangover and inculcating a spirit of service. Without these changes, the cycle of violence will continue, leaving communities vulnerable and eroding trust in those sworn to protect them. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Living in a society where even the smallest seat of power makes one entitled to put on a disproportionate and unjustifiable show of his force, we should have been well prepared for the unsavoury scene that unfolded in Multan. Clearly, the said police officer must have been left with no choice other than aggressively pulling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-458974","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\n