THIS is apropos your editorial “Ranger’s mandate” (Aug 29). While you have touched a very crucial point about the boundaries of the mandate, you have missed a very crucial point. That point is the alleged torture of detainees. The Americans euphemistically call it enhanced interrogation techniques.

Many family members and supporters of those detained in recent months have claimed that their people have been tortured and some may have been killed as a result of this activity on part of those who have been given the authority to detain.

Ignoring these allegations amounts to saying that our detaining authorities are noble and never engage in unethical practices. Actually there is ample evidence to the contrary. In your editorial you mention the detention of an individual on a charge of organising a public meeting in which his leader spoke against the security establishment.

If you look at the video clips of this person coming out of his residence at the time of his arrest and then compare it with the video of this person being brought to the court, the evidence of torture becomes crystal clear.

So should we accept torture as a legitimate instrument of state power? At least I am not ready to accept this. It should be mentioned here that just because a detainee is charged with a heinous crime, he cannot be considered deserving of violent thrashing even before he is found guilty.

While they might do wonderful things to restore peace to Karachi, ultimately the maintenance will have to be the responsibility of the police. Do people realise what is the going rate of graft for induction into the police force as a constable. But with major investments to get their appointments and postings in the police force, can we expect them to do an honest job?

Prof. (Dr) Arif Kazmi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play