Not a day passes when the newspapers do not report about the alarming nose-diving of police performance. Not surprising at all, because no government has ever attempted earnestly to root out the scourge of corruption from the police department, fearing always that honest police will expose misdeeds of their near and dear ones. Since, the men in uniform are great saviours not only of dishonest politicians and bureaucrats but also their cronies who are involved in plundering every state institution, its quite understandable that the existing status-quo in the police culture favours the government as it did all previous ones. Thus, to reform the lawless law-enforcers will tantamount to digging their own graves which our leaders will never acquiesce to. No wonder the public perception about the police has generally been poor. But, even in this bleak scenario there are officers and 'jawans who are performing their duties with devotion and commitment in the face of adversity. Be that as it may, the black sheep in the police department overwhelmingly outnumber the 'white ones and this results doubtlessly from the rulers wilful apathy to stem the rot. And, when such is the terrible situation, people begin to ponder whether it would not be wiser to develop links with the underworld for their protection. After all, there is nothing more precious than life itself, although many filthy rich and insatiably greedy may disagree with me on this issue. FAROOQ ZAMAN, Lahore, April 21.