The consistently soaring crime rate in Lahore not only is a strong indictment of the police’s role in maintaining law and order but also indicates that the financial inducements to the police force have made no difference to the hydra-headed menace of Thana culture. Not a day goes by without the criminals’ indulging in loot and plunder. Among 12 robberies committed on Saturday, the thefts of 15 tons of rice and eight cars snatched at gunpoint from different parts of the city are most serious. Robberies have become a norm; they ought to be stopped.
The police should no longer play the role of silent bystanders. Reportedly, the provincial government is in the process of chalking out a comprehensive plan to beef up the police. The force must play a proactive role in nabbing criminals and implement this plan quickly. The department is in need of such reforms as can lead to effective policing and ensure a system of checks and balances to curb corruption and bribery. The provincial government must do everything it takes to make the police department a thoroughly professional force.