Speakers say police in Pakistan renders valuable services, underline the need for educated youth to join ranks

Speakers have immensely praised Pakistan police for their exemplary performance in the line of duty during the last seven stressful and distressful months to the extent of laying down their lives to protect people from the devastating effects of crime during the challenges of ongoing difficult times.

This they said in their scholarly deliberations on the occasion of interactive webinar on the theme “Policing in Pakistan: Modern Times Challenges” organized by SU Department of Criminology in collaboration with Bureau of Students Tutorial Guidance / Counseling Services and Co-curricular Activities (STAGS), University of Sindh, Jamshoro in form of live broadcast via official Facebook Page of the Bureau of STAGS. The event was presided over by Prof. Dr. Fateh Muhammad Burfat, Vice Chancellor, University of Sindh, Jamshoro with Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan participating as the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker, Dr. Waheed Ahmed Abbasi, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro as the Moderator; wherein Dr. Sumera Umrani, Director, Bureau of Students Tutorial Guidance / Counseling Services and Co-curricular Activities (STAGS), University of Sindh, Jamshoro as the co-host.

Sindh University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Fateh Muhammad Burfat in his presidential remarks remarked that unfortunately people had a low view police in Pakistan. This was because of poor performance of police on account of very many difficulties they experienced due to meager budget, lack of professional training, scant financial incentives and shortage of institutional accountability.

“The masses still find police fearsome as they did during colonial times. This public perception can be reversed by competent, efficient and honest officers like IGP-KPK Dr. Abbasi”, the VC stressed; adding that improved coordination between police and the public was the need of the time.

“There arrive times in our lives when we are brought to bear with our own eyes the devastating impacts of crime, violence, terrorism and other nefarious activities that can only be contained and curbed by police and other law-enforcing agencies. This need has become more acute in the current perspective as the shock and misery of those already despaired will definitely be more acute and multiplied.

The Vice Chancellor paid glowing tribute to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah upon his constant, keen personal interest in anti-Covid-19 endeavors and the subsequent successes Sindh Government had achieved in defeating the monstrous ailment.

“I felicitate Dr. Waheed Ahmed Abbasi and Dr. Sumera Umrani upon organizing Interactive Webinar on a topic of colossal importance in the given situation", Dr. Burfat complimented.

Keynote Speaker and webinar Chief Guest Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi, extending profound thanks to Vice Chancellor Dr. Burfat, Dr. Sumera Umrani and Dr. Waheed A. Abbasi for invitation and opportunity; said that people in KPK had a very positive image of police along with their efficient coordination. He said that corruption was a reality in Pakistan, yet after he had assumed charge as IGP-KPK, he had been largely able to bring about financial and administrative reforms to the satisfaction and delight of the denizens of the province.

Dr. Abbasi further said that there was a dire need for educated, competent and conscientious youth to join police force as the recent experiment of such recruitment that had cast a very positive impact on the performance and public image of policing all over the country.

Dr. Abbasi said that their everyday duty pattern had undergone a drastic change. They were bound to implement government orders and to restrict public movement, ensure that the masses respected business timings, stayed away from prohibited places, did not open shops before or after allotted hours, did not violate instructions, initially intra-city and inter-city traffic and later inter-province traffic did not ply, men and women did not assemble and throng at one venue, hospitals and pharmacies were stayed protected against mobs and gangs. All that sort of stuff was new and involved a lot of public dealing; and to do all that without being harsh, rough or intimidating to the people who were already in a state of fright on account of the Pandemic. For this, Dr. Sanaullah asserted the police needed to be groomed and grounded into novel sets of training and control patterns.

The Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Zareen Abbasi, Chairman Department of Criminology Prof. Dr. Nabi Bux Narejo and a large number of viewers cutting across countries, vocations, venues and demographic diversity ardently participated in the webinar and expressed deep appreciation for the event proceedings.