Police Performance in Pakistan” Shehri-CBE Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead Community Policing Shehri started working with Police August 12, 2003. Initially at Ferozabad Police Station Jamshed Town Karachi. Objectives of working with Police To invoke amongst the citizens a sense of responsibility as sovereign citizens of the state and recognize their social responsibility that comes with sovereignty. To establish within the police and the citizens the spirit of cooperation and friendship and through this friendship remove from the minds and hearts of the people the fear of police and the police station. To establish respect between the residents and the police and through this mutual respect uphold the rule of law so that the life, property and fundamental rights of the citizens are safeguarded. To establish a permanent liaison between the police and the citizens so that a permanent relationship based upon mutual respect, trust, and transparency is built.
HELP DESK A Help Desk has been established by Shehri at Ferozabad Police Station, Jamshed Town, Karachi. We get complaints at our Help Desk from citizens and try to solve their problems.
Our Police Coordinator Mr. J.K. Bhatti, a
retired DSP visits the Police Station on daily basis to help the citizens. Police Trainings • Since 2007, Shehri in collaboration with National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has conducted human rights sensitization workshops for police personnel • Topics include human rights as per 1973 Constitution, child , women and minority rights • Role of police in protecting human rights of citizens especially vulnerable sections • Training program consists of four modules • Training Module 1: Detailed appraisal of all the relevant policies/rules/legislations pertaining to human rights violations operative in Pakistan.
• Training Module 2: The religious dimension
and understanding of human rights (with a particular focus on human rights in Islam, Christianity and Hinduism) Training Module 3: Human rights within the context of the vulnerable sectors of society (training based on specific case studies dealing with human rights violations of the rights of women, children and minorities)
Training Module 4: Human rights within the
global context (the issue of human rights as it is understood and acknowledged within the global context – Pakistan’s commitment to global compacts such as the UN Declaration on Human Rights) • To date, around 200 police personnel have been trained from all over Pakistan. • In 2007-2008, trainings were conducted only in Karachi. • In 2008-2009, trainings were conducted in Hyderabad, Karachi and Police College Sihala . • From August 2009 – August 2010, trainings are to be conducted in four Provincial capitals and Islamabad. • Police function as partners with Shehri- CBE. • Master Trainers of human rights trained. • The Master Trainers from Hyderabad, Karachi and Sihala now function as resource persons in the national training program of Shehri-CBE. • Constant engagement with the trainees established. Stakeholders consultative meeting 22 September 2007, Avari Hotel, Karachi Human Rights Workshop with Sihala Police (5-6 March 2009, Police College, Sihala) Human Rights Training workshop with Hyderabad Police (24-25 January 2009) Human Rights Training workshop with Islamabad Police (October 14-15, 2009) Human Rights Training Workshop with Quetta Police (October 20-21, 2009) Human Rights workshop with Karachi Police (October 23-24, 2009) Stakeholder Consultative Meeting 7th November, 2009, Hotel Holiday Inn, Lahore Police Training workshop with Peshawar Police held on January 8-11, 2010, Police Club Peshawar Police Reforms • In addition to trainings, Shehri-CBE initiated dialogue on police reforms • Since 2008, inputs and suggestions on nature of police reforms sought from various groups including media, academia, parliamentarians, members of political parties, minorities, women and police personnel themselves. Agenda for Police Reforms Police as a Service for Citizens From the platform of Shehri-CBE, we the sovereign citizens and masters of Pakistan hereby demand that the police needs to: • Recognize that citizens are their paymasters • As employees they should serve the citizens • Be respected as a service. • Have equity within the ranks. • Have an efficient public complaint handling system. • To address public complaints, a police ombudsman should be appointed. • There should be a realization that the police be professional, service oriented, and accountable to the people. • Police reforms should be done without any negative political interference. • Salaries and benefits to the police personnel should be increased to improve efficiency and should be the same all over the country. • Police needs to be reconstructed along the lines given in the Police Order. • All officers at Region/Range and District level should be organized according to the ground needs • Traffic police needs to be restructured along the lines of the Motorway Police. • Continuous police training programs should be organized aiming at developing the professional capacities of the police. • There should not be a ban on police recruitments as it effects the training schedules and careers of the police. • The police budget should be reviewed. • The number of female police stations and cell for women detainees in regular police stations should be increased. • Women police officers should be authorized to register and investigate cases • Training standards for all police personnel need to be improved with a particular focus on human rights training which should be an integral part of the training. • The provincial Safety (and police complaint) Commission be established at the Federal level. DEMOCRATIC POLICING GOVERNMENT (POLICE) • Of the People. • By the People. •For the people. Preamble Police Order 2002:- • Whereas the Police has an obligation and duty to function according to the constitution, law, and democratic aspirations of the people. • “And whereas such functioning of the police requires it to be professional, service oriented, and ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE” Shehri’s Presentation before Standing Committee on Home Affairs at Provincial Assembly of Sindh on (18-11-2009) THANK YOU