Many were waiting for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to take notice of the Pakpattan incident involving the District Police Officer (DPO) Rizwan Gondal and Bushra Maneka's ex-husband Khawar Maneka. The inquiry by the CJP was a much-needed move as the case was becoming more conflicting with every passing day. The statements by the police officers were in complete contrast to what the Inspector General Punjab had to say.
The problem lying at the core of this dilemma is the debate around the politicisation of Punjab Police. Many mainstream parties, particularly Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), have shown their concern against the use of the police force as a tool to propagate the ruling party's agenda. This is what the new government time and again promised to get rid of. In such a situation, it is important that when a case surfaces on such a large level, the people are well informed and the inquiry is made public to ensure that the right person was penalised.
The inquiry report demanded by the CJP should ensure the objectivity of the approach to resolve the situation. It must also be made sure that there is no pressure on anyone to independently give a statement and the hierarchy of the police force does not affect the decision making process. It is no doubt that we need to empower our police force to be able to take decisions and penalise those guilty of breaking the law, however, it is also necessary that no one takes undue advantage of the authority that they have been granted by the state.
This controversy has been in discussion since the last few days and no statement from any senior official has helped the public understand what actually the problem was, especially in light of the differing statements. Those appointed to investigate the matter should do so objectively and all the relevant individuals involved in the case must cooperate with them. The move by the CJP must be commended because this will not only help ease the tensions but also help in finalising a decision regarding the matter.