First-ever conference on criminology calls for modernising investigation techniques

PESHAWAR: Speakers at the first-ever national conference on criminology on Friday called for modernizing the crime investigation techniques through massive reforms in order to counter the weaker law and order situation emanating from the ongoing war against terrorism in the country. The three-day event titled ‘Institutionalizing Criminology in Pakistan: Issues and Challenges’ was organised by the Despartment of Criminology at SSAQ Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, University of Peshawar. A total of 68 research papers were presented by eminent scholars during the deliberations, which concluded on Friday.

The initiative aimed at highlighting the working of the newly-established Department of Criminology at the University of Peshawar which would not only help provide quality education in the discipline of criminology, which is relatively new to Pakistan, but also provide the graduates an edge in the job market, particularly as experts of forensics, prosecution, prisons and probation.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has sponsored the conference as part of Rs180 million endowment for establishing the country’s first-ever Institute of Criminology and Forensic Studies at the University of Peshawar.

The Department of Criminology Chairman, Dr Basharat Hussain, Pakistan Society of Criminology President DIG (retd) Fasihuddin and KP Public Service Commission Member Dr Sarah Safdar were prominent among those who spoke during the conference.

Addressing the participants, the speakers deplored that Pakistani criminal justice system institutions were not able to cope with the present day challenges, adding that police, prosecution, judiciary and prisons lack adequate modern education, necessary technology and a rule of law-oriented conception of criminal investigation. The system also suffers from a lack of capacity on the part of individual institutions and involved actors, especially with regard to coordinating their efforts, they said, and added that crime rates are high yet only a small proportion of cases result in convictions.

Fasihud Din, who had served as commandant of Police Training Centre Hangu, said that several police officers did not know the process of probation in their training that showed lack of basic knowledge in academia. He deplored that criminology was not present in the training module and

syllabus of police training until a few years back. He, however, lauded the efforts of UoP Department of Social Work and Sociology which was on the academic forefront for the cause of criminology through rigorous research contribution in national as well as international journals.

Other speakers called for strengthening the institutions of criminal justice system in the country by improving education and training to boost investigative capacities though practical use of professional methods of investigation, including the use of forensic knowledge and skills in the process of criminal investigation.

Attia Madni and Naureen Akhter from the International Islamic University, Islamabad; Maria Abbasi from Bahauddin Zakaria University, Multan, and Iram Shabbir from the University of Sialkot were among those who presented their research papers on the occasion.