RECENT news reports in local media have been a disturbing reminder of the depths our uniformed protectors fall to while pursuing diabolical schemes for self-enrichment. According to a story published in Monday’s papers, two young men earlier reported to have been kidnapped from Karachi’s Zakaria Goth were found to have been held in the Shah Latif Town police station all along. The law-enforcement officers who had been pursuing the case managed to trace and nab four suspects who had arrived to receive the abductees’ ransom. Of the four arrested, two were later discovered to be active-duty policemen. One suspect who managed to flee is also said to belong to the Malir Division police team. The interrogation of the suspects revealed the location of the abductees and that the young men had been kidnapped on the orders of the Shah Latif Town SHO, who, upon questioning, accused personnel from the Malir police.

The Sindh government, which has historically micromanaged the provincial police force, must be asked why so many dangerous criminals are walking around the country’s largest city wearing official uniforms. This was clearly not a one-off incident: just last month, the SHOs of two other police stations in Karachi were suspended after the recovery of three friends from another police station in very similar circumstances. In recent years, dozens of police officers have been booked for criminal activities, and hundreds kicked off the police force for their criminal records. Why has criminality permeated the Sindh Police so deeply, and why has the force failed to decisively root out criminal elements from within its ranks? Why are police officers so brazenly abusing the powers granted to them by the state to perpetuate the same criminal activities that they have been tasked with eliminating? These and related questions must be addressed by police high-ups and the provincial government. They owe an explanation to the citizens of Karachi.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2023