Things not working the way they should be for Islamabad Police

Islamabad: Since the PTI came into power the administrative issues as well as the policing in the federal capital have gone from bad to worse and this slide seems to be continuing with each passing day.

In fact, to be precise, this rot or slide in the ranks and file of the Islamabad Police started even earlier, when the ‘caretaker government’ removed Sultan Azam Taimuri from the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) of Islamabad as part of the country-wide reshuffle before the general elections.

Those aware with the working of the Islamabad Police were quite pleased with what Mr Taimuri started after taking over the charge of the office of the IGP Islamabad. He intended to purge the department of corrupt and ill reputed officers and officials, or at least side-lined them for the while.

However, that was not to be and he was removed from the office after only around 7 months of assuming charge, at a time when he, evidently, had completed the basic ground work to start making appropriate changes in

the department by bringing the honest and dedicated officers and officials the front and let those enjoying

bad reputation to sit behind where they could not

affect the performance of Islamabad Police.

Since the departure of Sultan Azam Taimuri Islamabad Police department has got two new IGs in quick succession. First Jan Muhammad was posted in June, 2018 and now after only 5 months he quit the office and now Amir Zulfiqar has assumed the charge of the office of the IGP Islamabad.

Now the information we are receiving from the Islamabad Police doesn’t sound much encouraging because the officers sitting on the most important positions, like the Operations Division, Crime Investigations Agency (CIA), Special Branch and Traffic are not working according to the mandate of their offices.

Though nobody is speaking out but the information gleaned from the gossip going round in the department is that there has been too much direct intervention lately in the working of these officers from the office of the IGP.

“The old vultures in the department have already started converging around the gasping corpse lying out there in the shape of the office of the IGP Islamabad. All this may sound a bit harsh and preposterous but unfortunately by casting a glance in any side of the department, that is the situation one finds prevailing.

The SSP Operations, the most important officers practically looking after the law and order as well as crime combating operations is disgruntled because of the direct intervention in his work from the office of the IGP.

Two officers having the pretty bad if not the worst reputation in the department have been appointed in the Special Branch, one of the most sensitive wing of the force, dealing with chronic crime investigations.

The Traffic seems to have gone into a blissful slumber as unruly traffic, especially the main artery, the Islamabad Highway from Faisal Mosque chowk on Khayaban-e-Iqbal right up to T-Chowk on the G.T. Road, remains clogged, especially during

the rush hours of the morning and the evening when

people have to go to work and return home.

Whatever the cause or causes may be behind the inactivity or in-affectivity of Islamabad Police, the fact is that the people are the sufferers. Before coming into power Imran Khan had always claimed that he would eliminate or at least scale down the infamous ‘thana culture’ in the Punjab province. However, what is being observed that the things have only worsened further and poor people continue to suffer at the hands of the criminals as well as in the police stations.

The situation, not only Islamabad but all over Punjab, has become alarming. Only because of the aggressive and coercive attitude of the police people are afraid to approach them even if they are suffering.

The political influence on the police continues without a break. The whole police department in the Punjab has become a tool in the hands of powerful and influential, who unfortunately in majority of cases, are siding with the oppressors and not the oppressed.

The main reason behind this highly worrying situation is that the government, especially in the Punjab province, is still following the policing system which was imposed by the British to keep people under their boots.

The only serious effort to reform policing in the Punjab got fizzled out at the very first step when Nasir Khan

Durrani found it impossible to deliver the task he was assigned by the Prime Minister, Imran Khan, to transform Punjab Police.

Because of non-cooperation by the other members of the group that was formed to analyse the whole system and come up with recommendations for improvement.

Since then Prime Minister Imran Khan has not been able to pay attentions to this important issue which directly impacts the general public.