Can ‘Thana Culture’ be put to an end?

Islamabad
This is a bitter reality that the police system is under grip of political influence. The provincial as well as federal governments allegedly make transfer and posting orders of police officials on favoritism, sacrificing their merit and service record.
Politicians even feel proud of interference and influence in the affairs of police and consider it their success having strong links with police high-ups. The prevailing moral standards and mental degradation of society could be judged with the fact that only those politicians are considered worthy and resourceful who can keep police in their influence and pressurise them easily.
The success in elections and failure of politicians is also dependent on their influence and power in the police department on grounds either they are capable to redress legal and illegal issues of their voters in police stations, which is only possible if that politician has managed to appoint his favourite SHO in his constituency.
The degradation process in a society starts when a common citizen feels it difficult to seek police assistance for solution of his problems and seeking justice on merit becomes impossible. These loopholes in society develop a deprived class and such practices instigate trends of rebellion in common people.
Every political government, during their regime, makes illegal appointments in police. On the other hand, individuals appointed on political grounds and references remain loyal to those political parties and fulfil all of their legal and illegal instructions.
In this connection, the Sindh Police are in control of political ‘mafias’ and this political interference in police affairs is taking toll in the form of poor performance and rule of robbers and kidnappers in urban as well as in rural areas of the province.
In Punjab as well as in Balochistan, politicians keep police under their pressure and influence and feel ease and pleasure in keeping police dependent on them.
No doubt, there is evidence regarding political interference in police, but since last few months, the government has started appointing police officers on merit. However, it could be too early to tell how police officials deputed on merit will perform their duties with professional attitude and on merit, negating calls and instructions from political high-ups.
Political interference in police has reached an alarming scale. This is because of the government’s negative attitude. The people who were appointed directly as DSP in police during the PPP’s first tenure on political grounds have got promotions now to the rank of DIG and now they are protecting the interests of political leaders in their respective jurisdictions. Not only PPP, PML-N also appointed their favourites on key positions in police on political grounds, similarly ethnic and other religious parties also managed to appoint their people on key posts in police. Amid this scenario when successive governments have been responsible for degradation of the police force and employ police for protection of their interests. How reforms process in police could be successful when police have been suffering from corruption cancer.
Whenever initiatives for reforms in police system have been taken, the higher authorities hold responsible ‘Thana Culture’ and make tall claims to end this anti-justice system. All such tall claims end in futile exercise later.
It is a fact that whichever political party comes to power, ‘Thana Culture’ cannot be changed as politics of the politicians of Sindh and Punjab is dependent on this culture. Through this ‘Thana Culture,’ politicians not only take illegal benefits but also settle legal and illegal issues of their voters and shield criminals for their vested interests.
The stance of high-ups sitting on key positions in police department and responsible for reforms process in police is wrong that police system cannot be reformed. The reality is that responsible elements don’t want a reformed police force and an end to ‘Thana Culture’ as this culture protects their interests.
To end ‘Thana Culture,’ we need sincere efforts, patriotism and seriousness. And sincere and serious efforts are being made in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to bring change in ‘Thana Culture’ as the police chief of the province in a short span of time got improved police system to a larger extent and turned police into an exemplary force. No doubt, the government should prioritise to end political interference in police affairs to make police a competent force.