HYDERABAD: Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.D. Khowaja has said Sindh needs a new law to establish a ‘neutral police force’ in order to ensure efficient policing with the help of the public.

The IGP said at the launch of a divisional women protection cell set up in the DIG’s office on Sunday that a draft law in this connection had already been submitted to the government for consideration.

He reiterated the comments he had made earlier at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry that when policemen were being killed in the 1990s, the members of civil society did not raise voice over it. As a result, assistance had to be sought from the Rangers to rein in the situation, he said.

He said that efforts should be made to point out deficiencies and weaknesses in the police department and propose remedies. “Sindh can’t enter the 21st century with the 1861 Police Act. Punjab police is working under the Police Order 2002 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has a new law in place,” he said.

The IGP said the draft law proposed depoliticisation of police, community policing with operational and administrative independence and reconstitution of public safety commissions.

He said the women protection cell would in no way be a parallel body to police, it would assist other government institutions or seek their assistance on reciprocal basis.

He hoped the cell would deliver and not end up like ‘madadgar 15’ where public calls often went unattended. The concept of reporting room was a step towards bringing a change in ‘thana culture’, he said.

DIG Khadim Rind who had been instrumental in the establishment of the cell briefed the audience about aims and objectives of the new body.

He quoted statistics about domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment etc and said that in 2012, 103 cases of rape were reported while many cases of violence against women or harassment usually went unreported.

He said the cell to be run by female staff sensitised to women’s issues would ensure proper reporting and follow-up of cases related to women’s issues.

He regretted that atmosphere in police stations was not women friendly as police were not gender-sensitised. Investigation officers remained inefficient because ‘all duffers’ had been appointed in investigation wing after separation of the wings of operation and investigation.

He said the investigations usually remained gender blind and called for sensitising and education policemen, who often stigmatised a woman complainant even before starting investigation. That was why women lacked trust in police, he said.

He said that flawed investigation led to dismally low conviction rate which was as low as three per cent. The cell would offer a mechanism for justice and platform to women in distress.

It would ensure proper implementation of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace, 2010, under which provincial ombudsman had a role to play to redress women’s complaints, he said.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2017