IRONICALLY, civilians and the police make strange, if not estranged, bedfellows. To be fair, several reasons keep this relationship at odds but the abject indigence of the force remains the real culprit. Where routine police excesses have robbed the public of all faith in their custodians, the authorities have made negligible efforts to address the woes of the force. Instead, burdensome additions are introduced in the name of security. One of these is Karachi’s Muhafiz force which, established some eight months ago, is far from honouring its promise of vigilance. Its performance is hardly the stuff of urban legend and the force only has a few arrests and an encounter with a fugitive to its name. Police high-ups of the time had hoped that the visibility of Muhafiz vehicles would serve as tools of deterrence for miscreants. However, street crime statistics tell a different story and do not endorse the force as an able prevention mechanism. According to a report in this newspaper, its 600 personnel were extracted from the notorious Sindh Reserve Force with a few exceptions from various police stations. Therefore, its origins are reason enough for consternation. Second, the training of Muhafiz personnel leaves much to be desired, including weapons training. Third, its fuel allowances are ridiculously low which curtails free movement and the absence of a designated Muhafiz police station makes the force reliant on regular police points.

The government would have done well to have used the funds earmarked for over 50 Muhafiz mobiles in the city and other technical support to strengthen existing law enforcement personnel. There are grave issues — lack of incentives in the way of pay raises, decent living quarters, training, and promotions that are judged on merit by established panels — that create police apathy which is detrimental to the citizenry. Also, our police force is riddled with political appointments that discourage neutrality. The fact that the metropolis is not home to a majority of its law enforcers translates into a detached force and promotes police crimes. Superfluities such as the Muhafiz force will not tame Karachi. But an indigenous, professional, compensated police force comprising native recruits is more likely to become the long-needed harness.

Courtesy: Daily Dawn