On 10 March 2012, Harvard Alumni in Pakistan, Ivy League Alumni in Pakistan, and Center for Law and Policy jointly hosted a panel discussion on challenges to law enforcement in Pakistan. The panelists included Sarmad Saeed Khan [Additional Inspector General, Punjab Police], Rashid Mahmood [District Coordination Officer, Khanewal], Rana Sajjad Ahmad [Advocate, High Court] and Syed Junaid Arshad [Deputy Director, Federal Investigation Authority].
Starting the discussion, Mr. Khan gave an overview of police reforms and the various challenges faced by the police. He emphasized that governments, legislators, and policymakers have never given due attention to this department. Consequently, the police performance is seldom up to the mark. He, however, stressed that the police can do the job well if they are provided proper support and facilities. In this regard, he gave the example of Pakistan Motorway Police which is considered an efficient force.
Mr. Mahmood, based on his experiences as an administrator, discussed why the police do not enjoy the same respect in Pakistan as in certain other countries. He generally agreed with the comments made by Mr. Khan.
Mr. Ahmad, on the other hand, was of the view that the reason for the poor performance of our police is not just the lack of resources, but it is the inefficiency and lethargy of the police officers. In his view, what is needed is a strong commitment to duty and excellence.
Mr. Arshad spoke about his recent experiences in Balouchistan as District Police Officer. He explained the difficulties he and his fellow officers had to face in order to maintain law and order.
This was followed by a Q&A session during which the panelists and the audience discussed a wide range of issues related to law enforcement in Pakistan.
In the end, Syed Imad-ud-Din Asad [Director, Center for Law and Policy] thanked the panelists for sharing their views with the audience that comprised academics, lawyers, bureaucrats, and students.
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