Using the police effectively

And protecting it

There’s a lot to be said about the Karachi Operation when unidentified gunmen can spray dozens of bullets on a police contingent deployed to protect polio workers; killing seven policemen on the spot. That this happened in broad daylight, in front of scores of witnesses, only drives in the point that a lot more needs to be done before the country’s financial hub and port city can be declared truly ‘cleansed’ of militancy. But that, of course, is not to imply that the police force has not performed to the best of its capability.

It is true though that this capability would have been considerably enhanced if relevant authorities had taken the right steps at the right time. Ordinarily, one would expect the police force to be up to scratch at all times. Yet even if ours was not, it should still have been upgraded ahead of the ambitious “Operation”. Resultantly the Operation has lost its sting. And while mostly petty crime has decreased, and there are fewer instances of kidnapping, etc, the city cannot be considered safe for ordinary citizens if those mandated to protect them are still vulnerable.

Unfortunately if history is any guide, there is little chance of things really improving on ground. After all, somebody must have been responsible for ensuring that units patrolling the city – especially those deployed with polio teams that have been attacked for years – are provided minimum security. Still, they were without helmets or bullet proof vests. And it’s not as if such incidents have not prompted similar soul searching in the past. It is just that nobody seems bothered a day or two after the attack, when things invariably revert to the so called ‘normal’. If the police force is still not effective, those calling the shots and controlling the government must take the blame. They must also realise that any force can be used effectively only when its own protection is first guaranteed.