Lahore   -  Speaking at the closing ceremony of a training workshop for District Commercial Court judges in Lahore, Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed on Friday expressed regret over the gang-rape of a woman on the motorway near Lahore, saying such incidents were betrayed the politicised nature of the police force; one that has failed to provide proper protection to people’ lives and property.

Justice Ahmed in his address noted that effective policing was necessary maintaining law and order; which is the prime responsibility of the government.

“However, what we see is that policing in the country has been politicised, the result of which is that the life and property of the people are not safe and even innocent travellers on the highway meet serious crimes like the one we had two days back,” he added

The chief justice said it was shameful to note that no safety mechanism had been placed on the motorway where the gang-rape occurred.

“The government needs to wake up and immediately restore the credibility of the police department by allowing its ranks to take initiative and decide the issues of the police department themselves,” he said. “No amount of any interference whatsoever should be made either by the government or by any political person in the police force.”

He added that policing in the country “seems to be in the hands of unprofessional and inept persons, which [has] seriously eroded the law and order situation of the country”.

Alluding to the frequent changing of IG Police in Punjab, Justice Ahmed said recent developments in the Punjab Police were a sign of “deteriorating policing system and the level of political interference in the police department”.

“No police force can function as a disciplined, professional force which guarantees to the people safety of life and property until it is de-shackled from politics and allowed to run as a thoroughly disciplined and professional force responsible for its own conduct”

His remarks come days after the gang-rape caused countrywide outrage and raised questions over the lack of security on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway, which has been unmanned since it became operational nearly six months ago.