Police officers of Balochistan are on the hit list of non-state actors. In a matter of days two senior police officers were martyred, an attack claimed by the Taliban. It is alarming at the time when the government is busy in materialising multibillion dollar project of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The attacks indicate the capability of non-state actors in targeting high profile designations. Balochistan police is already facing several institutional problems and paramilitary forces are performing the duties of law and order in the majority areas of the province. No effort has been done by provincial and federal governments in revamping the exhausted provincial police. Balochistan is plagued by separatism and extremism. Provincial government is lacking any strategy to tackle the menace of separatism and extremism.

Moreover, the situation in the Sindh is not different from Balochistan. Provincial government and Inspector General of Police are engaged in a serious tussle. Sindh government has clipped all powers of IG including the appointment and transfer of senior police officers. The post of IG is left with largely ceremonial powers. The government has brought the provincial police under its thumb. All the steps taken by the PPP-led government will further politicise the police and hence contribute to worsening law and order situation in the province.

Police is the premier civilian law enforcement agency and if urgent reforms are not initiated than the vacuum created by police will be further filled by paramilitary and military forces. Besides this, most policemen are barely educated and hence have no knowledge of dealing with the civilians which contribute to the rise of hatred in the hearts of civilians towards the police. A proper social training should be included in the training of police. Public dealing is the primary task of law enforces.

Lack of coordination is another major problem faced by civilian law enforcement agencies. A formation of integrated command structure under the interior minister is a need of the hour. Furthermore, merit-based recruitment should be done in order to tackle the inefficiency of lower police.

Rangers-led operation has restored peace in Karachi but effective policing will ensure permanent peace. Police are lacking equipment for conducting counter insurgency operations. Pakistan is facing brutal internal insurgency. The government should equip police with all major equipment. Police need armored personal carriers APCs, bullet proof jackets, snipers, night goggles and guerilla training.

Legislation is required to ensure the security of tenure of senior police officers. Senior officers are transferred many times in a matter of months, which contribute to the inconsistency in implementing policies. Political intervention is the other menace face by country’s police. The blue-eyed boys of politicians are promoted to the key positions and thus disabling the police from serving the masses.

The budget of police is not adequate. The budget allocations does not meet the growing challenges of the present times. The federal and provincial governments should increase the budget. Moreover, currently police are a public frightening force. Reforms are needed to transform police from a public frightening force to a public friendly force.

Pakistan is facing terrorism, separatism and extremism. The non-state actors are changing their tactic from time to time. They are well equipped and the country dynamics are also well known to them. Only effective policing will ensure the permanent peace in the cities and towns of the country. Currently Army and paramilitary forces are deployed in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Karachi, Swat and Balochistan. But Army cannot stay permanently in such areas. The Army is not trained for policing duties rather soldiers are trained for conventional wars. Army has established many training centers in order to learn the tactics of unconventional warfare, which is a good development.

Pakistan is facing both conventional and unconventional threats. Army’s duty is to defend the country against conventional threats and police responsibility is to eliminate unconventional threats. Presently, Army is engaged in fighting both conventional and unconventional threats but conventional threat can exacerbate and in that case police would be left to tackle internal challenges. So police, as an institution, needs reforms. It is the responsibility of the executive, legislature and judiciary to revamp the country’s police.