THERE is no denying the fact that our obsolete police system needs a major overhaul.

We are still working with the Police Order of 1861 which was designed to build psychological pressure on the locals at that point in time while the dynamics today have completely changed.

The 1861 police order has seen just two amendments. One in 1932, when the ASI rank was included in the police structure and the second, in August 2002, when an amended police order was presented.

The 2002 Police Order was rejected by the provinces and as things stand today, we badly need police reforms, that meet present needs.

The police must be de-politicised, corruption in the department curtailed and the protocol culture undone.Police stations need better infrastructure and a behavioral change instilled in it.

Umar Farooq Sarwar

Lahore

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2014