Traffic Police drive against ‘violence,obscenity’ triggers debate

PESHAWAR: The Traffic Police during a drive launched last week in the provincial capital defaced a number of portraits on auto-rickshaws, trucks and other vehicles that promoted ‘violence and obscenity.’
Trucks and auto-rickshaws carrying portraits of actors with guns in their hand, having bottle of liquor or any kind of drugs in the picture or portraying women with ‘indecent dresses’ are being stopped by the traffic police to spray black paint on the objectionable photos.
The drive has earned criticism on the social media, especially from those opposed to the policies of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that is claiming to have changed and reformed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police.
Many have commented on the social media that the PTI is following into the footsteps of the six-party religious alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), which during its rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2002 and 2007 launched a similar campaign.
It was not known as to whether the practice is being done since last Monday under a policy of the KP government or any official of the traffic police has launched it on his own.
“Our men are defacing the portraits that carry pictures of Kalashnikovs, liquor bottles or women with odd dresses that is not being liked by the general public,” an official of the Traffic Police told The News.
However, he couldn’t explain as to whether it is the policy of the police force or some junior officials are doing it out of conviction.
“There is no harm in removing paintings that promote gun and drugs culture or present negative image of women,” said the officer who requested not to be mentioned. None of the senior officers who were approached for comments responded as to whether it was done under a policy or it was an act of few individuals.
A number of pictures and videos are being circulated in the mainstream media and also social media in which police officers are seen spraying black paint on pictures painted on the back of auto-rickshaws and trucks.
The videos and pictures are mostly of cops who issue tickets to VIPs for traffic violation, make their videos and send it to the media for self-projection.
“Imran Khan, please take notice of KP police blacking out the image of woman on a billboard. Are women’s faces to be defaced in Naya Pakistan?” tweeted former federal minister and leader of the Pakistan People’s Party Sherry Rehman.
Before that an official account of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had appreciated the operation. “The much needed operation against trucks with immoral images has been launched. Before it, a successful operation was launched against auto-rickshaws,” said the PTI statement encouraging the drive. Other said the portraits on these vehicles were against the local culture and needed to be removed. “The portraits from Pashto films do not represent our culture. People of the KP always wanted a ban on these films, plays and these posters,” said a supporter of the campaign.