Vetting police reforms

The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan has done well to direct its secretary to prepare a draft law aimed at checking police excesses and safeguarding citizens' rights before the amended Police Act (1861) of 2002 is enforced by the provinces.

Concerns have continued to be voiced by members of civil society, the interior ministry and provincial home departments regarding the wide range of powers the act vests in the police force.

It was time a technical body such as the law and justice commission took up the matter, as the amended police act has to date remained only a document that the provinces have refused to implement, citing financial constraints among the reasons.

Last year, the federal government promised to spend Rs10 billion over a three-year period to help carry out the reforms as provided for in the amended act, but that has remained a promise so far.

First of all, the allocated amount is too paltry a sum given the existing state of the police force. Secondly, even this amount could not be made available because international donor agencies refused to provide funds on the valid grounds that the amended act, in its existing form, offered little in terms of public accountability of the police force.

The truth is that the police act has remained a controversial document since its drafting by the National Reconstruction Bureau nearly three years ago. This is because those who framed it reportedly did not feel the need to consult either the relevant federal and provincial ministries or the judiciary.

The only mechanism it lays down for the police force's accountability is the institution of public safety commissions at the district, provincial and national levels.

But even these have not been constituted on an across-the-board basis, and where such commissions do exist they have largely remained ineffective in redressing public grievances.

Meanwhile, rights groups say that police excesses continue in various forms, including public harassment, intimidation, illegal detentions, fake encounters, custodial killings, rampant corruption and even direct involvement of the unscrupulous within the force in organized crime.

No wonder then that international donor agencies should have refused to fund the implementation of the amended police act.

There can be no two opinions on the fact that reform is badly needed to improve and modernize the working of the police force. But the way the amended police act was framed and rushed through the cabinet left a lot to be desired.

In the absence of any effective functioning of the public safety commissions, the judiciary by default becomes the only watchdog over the working of the police. It has been known to take suo motu action to provide relief to aggrieved citizens when a case of police excess has been widely publicized by the media.

But this is not an adequate mechanism and leaves the bulk of everyday police excesses at the local level - especially in rural areas - unchecked and undeterred.

The government would do well to subject the provisions of the law, which the law and justice commission has now instructed its secretary to formulate, to the scrutiny of parliament.

If necessary, parliament can then form technical committees to vet the entire amended police act. This is the only way a broader political consensus can be achieved on police reforms and citizens' rights adequately secured.

Help for quake victims

In the aftermath of Saturday's tragic earthquake in the northern areas, many of the thousands rendered homeless have yet to receive any kind of aid. According to reports, several hundred villagers have been camping out in the snow without warm clothing for fear of aftershocks.

The immediate concern of the authorities should be to provide food, medicines and blankets to the victims in as short a time as possible. Given that the area has a limited road network and is vulnerable to landslides, snow and the elements, the authorities must utilize helicopters, weather permitting, to drop supplies and transport the seriously injured to hospital.

While it is next to impossible to avoid the consequences of natural calamities, the government can at least prepare in advance a relief plan that provides assistance to those who need it most in a relatively short period of time.

Many governments in other countries have seen it fit to invest in a specific organization that deals with emergencies. While Pakistan admittedly has limited resources, truth we experience our fair share of natural disasters and calamities.

In fact, in most cases, the number of casualties and the extent of long-term damage could have been far less had there been in place a relief agency able to move quickly.

Such an organization, preferably headed by a senior federal official, could be entrusted with the crucial job of coordinating with local and provincial departments such as the police or the local Nazims to identify what kinds of relief is needed, by whom and in which areas.

Since large parts of the country, especially those most prone to earthquakes like the northern areas, do not have an extensive road network or sophisticated communications, providing assistance can often take a long time.

Accelerating ongoing infrastructure development schemes and initiating new ones in such regions could also be one way of ensuring that victims of natural disasters receive timely assistance.

This can also have another salutary effect, that of raising the subsistence living levels of residents, enabling them to construct sturdier houses which would be more likely to withstand an earthquake. The death toll - 24 dead - would have been far lower if people had had better houses to live in.

Polio: UAE's gesture

Even though fighting polio in the country is the responsibility of Pakistan's health apparatus, one must appreciate the half a million dollars in grant given by the United Arab Emirates in this behalf.

As the Pakistan government takes up the challenge of eliminating this blight, with the target set for the end of 2004, any help and assistance in this regard will make the goal more achievable.

At present, Pakistan is one of eight countries in the world today where polio cases have been reported in the past year. More worrisome is the fact that 75 per cent of all cases are occurring in the three countries of which Pakistan is one.

However, what is encouraging has been the decline in the number of polio cases. According to the ministry of health, polio cases have dropped from 324 in 1998 to 99 in 2003. This can be credited to a sustained effort by the government and other stake holders involved in the eradication drive.

Despite the progress made, the government cannot afford to be complacent. Two issues that have adversely affected the anti-polio drive need to be looked at.

The first is the ability of the health ministry staff to access people in remote areas; the other is the challenge of maintaining the potency of the polio drops, especially while transporting them over long distances.

Officials say that while they have been successful in checking the spread of virus transmission in northern Sindh and southern Punjab, where previously many cases had been reported, there are now reports of an increase in polio cases in remote areas of the NWFP and FATA.

This should be tackled on a war footing. Finally, the efforts of the government and health workers would be in vain if the polio drops lose their potency while being transported and stored in temperatures not advisable.

It is only by maintaining the momentum of the anti-polio drive that the success gained so far can be built upon.