PAKISTAN’S policing system is struggling, not due to individual failures, but due to deep-rooted structural problems. While much attention is given to police mis-

conduct and ‘thana culture’, much less is said about the chronic lack of funding, oversight and institutional support. Officers, especially at lower ranks, are expected to investigate crimes, prepare reports, and manage operations without basic operational budgets.

Travel, stationery, fuel and other essential costs are often paid out of their own pockets. This lack of support forces many into informal and, at times, illegal means just to remain functional.

Most station house officers (SHOs) are appointed without clear criteria, but are given no funds to run their stations. Even well-trained Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) officers find themselves seriously constrained by the same dysfunctional system. Accountability mechanisms are weak, with disciplinary action taken in only two per cent of inquiries.

These lines are not meant to defend corruption, but a call to address its root causes. A broken system cannot produce a functioning force. Pakistan is in need of comprehensive police reforms, adequate funding, good salaries, transparent appointments, operational budgets, and welfare support for officers.

In a province like Punjab, that has well over 129 million people, the cost of inaction is too high. If the government truly seeks to uphold the rule of law, it must begin by empowering the police force through revised pay packages and special investigation funds. The govern-ment must prioritise systemic reforms.

Syed Rehman Hayder
Chiniot

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2025