Dr Muhammad Rizwan Bhatti
Policing is a redoubtable and challenging profession. The police officer has to confront multiple tasks to uphold peace and order in society. Given the prevailing socio-economic environment, the predicaments are galore. The drivers of surging crime are obvious. The interplay between unemployment, poverty, injustice, political upheavals and impunity culture has fostered an environment where crime invariably thrives. With a high youth bulge and scarce job opportunities, young people are drawn towards illegal criminal activities such as street crime and organized crime including drug peddling and migrant smuggling. The usage of narcotics is another critical issue in the rising of crime and deviant behviour in society. Rapid urbanization and sprawling of slum areas have contributed massively to provide enabling environment to crime to flourish. Soaring digitalization is another weapon in the hands of unemployed youth to exploit for the purpose of alternate income sources through phishing, identity theft, online scams and cybercrime activites. The nature and spectrum of crime has changed on a gigantic level. Now, society has become more vulnerable to violence and felony than before.
Of late, organized crime has become growing concern for Police hierarchy and Punjab Government. Organized crime means the occurrence of planned and deliberated series of crime of heinous nature. It has a hierarchy with designated head. There would be a division of labour for the execution of crime. Therefore, in order to control the organized crime, the organized crime unit has been recalibrated into Organized crime control unit. The posting of DIG Sohail Zafar Chatha as Addl IG Organized Crime Control Unit is commendable step that reflects serious political will to curb the organized crime to the hilt.
Organized Crime Control Unit would have operational and intelligence wings. The OCCU will have task to bust the notorious criminal gangs, hard core outlaws and heinous crimes. Further, it would have mandate of registering the FIR, investigate, apprehend and challan the case. At provincial level, two DIGs will be appointed to head operational and Intelligence wings, SPs in big districts and DSP would be appointed in C category and less threatening Districts. The establishment of Organized Crime Control unit would be boon and elixir of major socio-political values. It will help in reducing the crime against property in particular.
Police officers are vulnerable to harbour temptations such as lavish houses to live in comforts, hefty bribes in contested cases, expensive gifts, foreign travels and invitation in voluptuous orgy parties. Here comes the test of character and integrity. The officers who surrender self-respect and honour to their venal desires, they become weak and coward in their decisions. The community and public gazes the character of officers in command. Policing is inviolable trust and it’s a sustained community service. Policing is neither meant for serving political masters nor currying favour for the lucrative postings.
Police leadership has more responsibilities than the officers serving in subordination position. Fighting against the evils of society and rising crime has never been an individual crusade; it demands a dedicated team and financial resources. The Police command walks on a tight rope in fighting against giants of crime who are in cohort with so-called pressure groups. The leadership often found themselves in catch 22 situations.
Tapping the available resources in a befitting manner reflects the profession acumen of Police command. This is true when we witness the key performance indicators of certain police officers who are commanding huge divisions and independent units. Rana Abdul Jabbar IGP AJK, Dr Muhammad Abid Khan, DIG Headquarters CPO Lahore, Ahsan Younas MD Punjab Safe City Authorities, Zeeshan Asghar RPO Faisalabad, Rana Ayaz Saleem CPO Gujranwala to my knowledge are the best Police officers who are truly embodiment of integrity, courage, firmness, impartiality, justice, goodness and fairness.
Talking about the operational and administrative potential of DIG Dr Muhammad Abid Khan, it can be fairly said that he displayed unprecedented caliber and professional perspicacity in combating crime of all nature and elimination of corrupt elements during his awe inspiring posting tenure. He did gigantic efforts to provide justice to the victims of murder, rape, sodomy, kidnapping for ransom, dacoity with murder and fostered an environment of fair, even handed justice. More so, his judicious supervision of the cases of murder, property dispute, land grabbing and gang rape ensured fair, just investigation and conviction of hard-core criminals. Under his visionary supervision, first ever domestic “Champions League One- Day Cricket Cup 2024” in Faisalabad was successfully accomplished with wide acclaim and humongous achievement. The landmark completion of “Punjab Safe City Authority” Faisalabad in just 45 days is another brighter feather in his cap.
Being RPO Faisalabad, Dr Muhammad Abid Khan weathered my crisis but did not falter at any point. He bravely defused the Jaranwala incident, arrested all accused and facilitators. Moreover, he did not let it spill over to other cities of Punjab. He shunned the societal and political pressure and emphasized upon the field officers to serve the community without vested and financial interests. He earned the public trust, goodwill and respect through taking stern actions against the corrupt and inefficient police officers. He has the courage to say “NO” to the illegal and unprofessional demands.
It is undoubted fact that the remedy of all ills in terms of rickety law and order is the hard earned vision to depoliticize the police, giving it leverage to act operationally and every police officer is highly accountable to his misdeeds. The intelligence led policing focusing on identifying and arresting the nefarious elements and busting the criminal gangs is the silver bullet solution of organized crime. More so, better community engagement and traditional “Thikri Pehra” Vigilantism has the potential to reduce crime in society. Moreover, crack down on dacoits gangs, drug peddlers and Proclaimed offenders will definitely help in mitigating the crime intensity in the society.
The competent, trustworthy, honest, visionary and empathetic police officers are need of the hour. Policing is tough phenomenon. It requires resilience, vigilance, prompt action and professional prudence in making decisions, implementing the policies and culmination of rigorous tasks for the maintenance of law and order, betterment of community and engendering the sense of justice and peace in society.
Dr Muhammad Rizwan Bhatti is Ph.D in Political Science from Govt College University Faisalabad. His research is on “Post 9/11 De-radicalization and counter violent Extremism in Pakistan”. He can be reached at [email protected]
