I REFER to the letter ‘Police officers postings’ (May 19). The letter is factually incorrect in some important aspects, and there are inappropriate comparisons being made between the policing system and structures in Pakistan and the United Kingdom. It is like comparing apples and oranges.

For example, in England and Wales alone there are over 40 separate and distinct police forces with their own Chief Constable. Also, the Chief Constables are not appointed or part of a national cadre but rather are appointed at county level and cannot be transferred outside their own area.

The writer asserts that the “superintendence of area police (like our districts) by elected public representatives is an established practice in all credible police systems” before asserting that this is the case in the United Kingdom. This is factually incorrect.

There are elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) but they are responsible for appointing the Chief Constable, who is then responsible for appointing Deputy and Assistant Chief Constables. Furthermore, the Chief Constable is responsible for appointing, promoting and posting all officers under their command, and the PCC has no role in this. This is important because the Chief Constable is, quite properly, accountable to the PCC and through them to the public but is operationally independent. In turn it is for the Chief Constable, and not elected representatives, to hold their officers accountable.

It is simply wrong to compare a Chief Constable to a district SP. Whilst their spans of command may be similar in some cases in terms of staff, territorial area, etc. their constitutional positions and accountability mechanisms are entirely different. Clearly there are many issues that need to be addressed in policing in Pakistan, and reforms are needed, but I do not believe it is helpful to make comparisons that are not founded in fact.

Jawaid Akhtar

Former Deputy Chief Constable

West Yorkshire Police

United Kingdom

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2019