The basic responsibilities of police are to orientationally maintain public order and safety, coupled with preventing and detecting criminals for the public’s interest. In foreign countries, police deal with law and order situations with iron hands; once they warn the public to remain within limitations, they adhere to it. If public/protestors disobey, police resort to action, enforcing laws at any cost without showing any leniency during the course of action, supported fully by their hierarchy in enforcing laws. Although, Covid19 posed unprecedented challenges for the police of our country. As police have struggled much to ensure compliance with public health restrictions including strict lockdowns. With an outdated legal framework for them, they are advised to work and rely on them for responding to all types of violations.
Citing UN Police, glaring my experience and services, police in such situations, only warn to stay behind the limits and if the public disobeys, they resort to enforcing laws regardless of any leniency cum latitude. Quite contrary to it, here in Pakistan, exceptionally Lahore, Police practice to manage public disorder by delivering friendly lectures, holding meetings, and reaching a high level of tendering requests to abide by the laws, instead of issuing only warnings and taking strict legal action. Referring to hundred examples, came across where public blocked roads, plundered shops, and tend to damage government properties during the emergence of chaotic situations. Why police carry such situations with leniency is often unseen in such situations. Police are a binding sign of enforcement and implement the law and order if it is being violated at the local or at the national level. The lack of Standard Operating Procedures designed for police officers especially the ones who are working in the field and those patrolling and in police stations is the core challenge lying in our country. The substandard education and training upon maintaining law and order in the country make it quite challenging for the police force to perform to its fullest.
Our high-ups make a spellbound to subordinates to tend utmost softness and patience during handling protestors. The obvious grounds of this act in my opinion is the unpredictable behavior of our hierarchy who don’t support their force if any inquiry or issue is raised. Due to that unwarranted policy, Police, enforcing laws always stay at doldrums and uncertainty of support on merit. In this backdrop, we can observe in a prevailing stint, police stay calm as silent spectators. The antecedent in view, this fear among police has rapidly gripped their mindset to dare their width during such situation. The hierarchy and the prevailing practice of handling law and order situations must be altered and a free hand to be given to force in the interest of enforcing laws. As pandemic has also provided an opportunity for law enforcement agencies to come up with plans related to experiential learning of police officers working in fields and handling the masses in times of difficulty. Training courses along with up-to-date modules on the implementation of law and order should be designed for preparing the police force for future endeavors.
