Police Reforms in the Federal Capital: The Role of Legislators and Media
May 29, 2019 at 11:40 pm,
No comments
by Waqar Ali Shah
Islamabad, May 29, 2019
Pakistan Forum for Democratic Policing" (PFDP), a civil society network for Police
Reforms, comprising of members from civil society organizations, transgender
persons, religious minorities, media and academia presented civil society’s
Charter of Demand (CoD) for Police Reforms in a dialogue held in press club.
This dialogue was organized by the secretariat of the PFDP named Rozan, a non-
profit organization that is working for ending gender based violence and promoting
police reforms. Objective of the dialogue was to discuss the issue of police reforms
in the federal capital. Member of the National Assembly Mr. Sidaqat Ali Abbasi and
President National Press Club, Mr. Shakeel Qarar were invited as guest speakers for
the dialogue.
Members of PFDP presented civil society’s charter for police reforms and
emphasized to implement police reforms as mentioned in their manifesto and play
their proactive role for introducing new police law to prevent Gender Based Violence
(GBV). It’s a sad reality that in the capital of Pakistan the police is being govern by
158 years old colonial law of 1861 said by Sayyed Safi Peerzada, Senior manager
Rozan a non-governmental organization working on GBV prevention and need for
police reforms. He further said that community policing is the best model worldwide
to promote democratic policing. The civil society’s CoD is comprising the following
key demands for police related legislation and reforms: Police Stations should be the
core of police reforms efforts, police stations should be empowered technically,
infrastructure and human resource-wise and financially, mechanisms should be in
place to make police operationally autonomous and free of extraneous pressures
with regard to recruitments, transfers, promotions and investigation, the quality and
cost for investigation and police trainings should be increased substantially, strict
internal and oversight mechanisms should be in place by public safety commission
and complaint commission for their accountability, special attention should be given
to needs of children, women, persons living with disabilities, minorities and other
vulnerable segments of the society. Mechanisms should be in place to enhance
community-police collaboration and measures should be taken for image building of
the police for acknowledging sacrifices and contributions of the police during the war
against terrorism.
Government spoke person Mr. Sadaqat Ali Abbasi discussed challenges and way
forward in introducing a new police law in the federal capital. He extended his full
support in the regard. He requested the journalists from national and local print and
electric media were requested to take up and sustain the very critical agenda of
police reforms from the perspective of legislative and police stations reforms.
By shedding the light on the need of gender sensitive institutes he said that media
should play its effective role in this regard.
Local concerned citizens, representatives of civil society organizations, rights based
groups of children, youth, women, minorities and persons living with disabilities and
bar will attend the press conference. Recommendations will be given for structural,
legislative and trainings for attitudinal changes in the police.
END