THE Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, has expressed his ire at the system of policing prevailing in the country. His worry was over the arbitrary style in which the police deals with the public, especially the way it picks up persons without FIRs or legal authorization. His mentioning that our jails have a large number of inmates, who have been detained either on flimsy charges or without approval from a court of law, is a poor reflection on the concerned authorities. Though he warned that strict action would be taken against errant police officers, whether the police heeds his advice remains anybody's guess. As it is, the police department is in need of a major overhaul. Only then can the nation hope to have an effective force. The police have assumed unbridled powers because there is no efficient system of accountability. Another flaw is that there is too much political interference. All the pillars of the state, the judiciary and the executive have to act according to the parameters mentioned in the Constitution and it would only be unhealthy if one organ keeps poking its nose into the affairs of the other. But for that to happen it is imperative that the executive set its house in order.