Corruption within Pakistan Police

This has the reference to the letter “Police and war on terror” by NAD. I do not subscribe to the idea that the officers like SHO, ASP//DSP SP DIG and IG should be appointed for a fixed and specific period of at least three years.

It goes without saying that the police department is infested with the abscess of corruption and intoxication of power to the extent that the policemen have been found having no qualms to do anything inhuman for the cause of money. As admitted by a senior police officer the department has produced more dacoits in the police uniform than the hardened criminal produced by our society among the masses. This specific period of posting for three years would give them a kind of license to reign the public without fear of being dislodged from the post. It does not further stand to any reason that a SHO or DPO be allowed to continue to work to complete his tenure even if he fails to subdue the epidemic of crime in his area. Therefore, the transfer/posting should be underpinned on administrative grounds according to the demands of the situation.

The deep-rooted corruption, maladministration and distance from professionalism are the basic causes of why the police remain an object of criticism. Basically, the recruitment of police is of three kinds: Constables, ASIs and ASPs. The constables are recruited by the department taking their exams, both physical and written, and interviews. ASIs and ASPs are appointed through provincial and federal public service commissions respectively. Except the ASPs who are inducted through CSS, the transparency in recruitment for constables and ASIs is very questionable. It is reliably learnt that the examination for the recruitment of constables is only limited to papers. The nomination of the candidates comes from the castles of politicians who distribute the vacancies among their party-men. Those who don’t have political access need to pay money to the agent to get the job. The normal rate for the vacancy of constable ranges from Rs.80,000 to Rs.100,000. The recent reports of cheating in Sindh Public Service Commission examination is the glaring example of integrity of the commission.

The process of giving bribes does not stop till acquisition of job only. It permeates to police training centres as well. The instructors, who do not have any other source of corruption, resort to extort money from the trainees by one way or the other. There is an unwritten law in training centres that every trainee has to pay his platoon commander/instructor Rs.500 to Rs.1000 as latter’s monthly pocket money. Those daredevil trainees who show unwillingness to pay their instructor are persecuted during physical training and eventually have to recourse to pay him out of compulsion. To get a leave during the training days is virtually impossible for a trainee, no matter how immense his emergency may be. But mere payment of Rs.200 to 500 per day to the Line Officer works out to make the impossible a possible. Thus, the policemen are indoctrinated to be corrupt from the training centres.

It does not end here. Corruption continues unabated in high headquarters that are no exception where a policeman has to compulsively bribe the clerks to move his file for his legal right/work, i.e. transfer, positing, honorarium, award, promotion and inquiry etc. If he does not bribe the clerks, the policeman has to suffer the departmental red-tapism. At the time of its purchase, the cloth for uniform is shown on paper as of best-quality available in the market, but when it reaches to the hands of policeman he finds it of such a lower quality and outlandish that he reckons the wastage of money on its stitching.

There is a notorious system called “Visa” system in police terminology. It implies to a situation when a policeman does not attend the duty for months and months and pays 50% of his salary to his incharge every month. This money is normally paid to the Line Officer who supplies the share to his seniors. The practically absent policemen are documentarily shown to be present on duty at ghost locations or reserved as stand-by personnel.

Apart from the excessive duty hours, the out-of-turn basis promotion is another cause of frustration, despondency and demoralization of policemen. This kind of promotions are given to those policemen who have political backing or enough money to bribe even their seniors. The implausible justification for the out-of-turn basis promotion is the promotees’ active participation in encounters or gallantry performance of duties. Are the policemen appointed for something other than the encounters or gallantry performance of duties?

The funds are embezzled by the seniors police officers. Arrangement for fuel for police mobiles for patrolling is upto the SHO who makes it out of the blood and sweat of common man. The entire department is enmeshed in corruption that has insidiously undermined the efficacy and efficiency of the force. How can a policeman, who himself is victimized of corruption, be just and honest to the common man remains an unanswerable question.

Aslam Pervaiz Abro
Ex-Investigation Officer
NAB Sindh