LAHORE, June 8: PPP’s Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan was reading out his call attention notice on the first day of the fourth budget session of the Punjab Assembly on Thursday when a few of his colleagues sitting in the cafeteria were ridiculing the point he was trying to make out.

Rana was saying that the May 18 ‘police encounter’ in Rahim Yar Khan district, in which two people were killed and two of their accomplices implicated in various cases, was not a genuine encounter. Instead, he alleged, the police ‘shot dead’ the victims.

Law Minister Raja Basharat strongly challenged the point, saying the police encounter was genuine and those killed in it were hardened criminals. People of the area, he said, had sighed relief.

While the Raja-Rana encounter was in progress, those in the cafeteria and watching the proceedings through closed-circuit TVs, were offering quite interesting remarks.

“Rana Aftab is a lawyer, but he doesn’t know that long ago the law had been gang-raped and then strangled”, said one of them, causing a laughter all around. The comment was so cruel and unexpected that some had to leave their cups of tea because they were unable to sip or gulp anymore.

“I don’t agree that the law was strangled. Yes, some people did make a serious attempt, but it survived, though it’s lying in a very precarious condition”, another lawmaker sharing the table commented.

He was of the view that the government would have to take very serious measures to bring the law back to life.

A third MP sitting there said: “The rulers will have to change their mindset and rescind their standing instructions ‘ignore law and follow orders’ to the police”. He said if this was not done, the law will remain in the ICU for good.

One may agree or disagree with the views of the lawmakers, there are no two opinions that the law and order situation in the Punjab is not good. Dacoities have become order of the day and the situation is degenerating. Police statistics on the subject are hardly reliable.

It has been said time and again that senior police officials would be held responsible for the crime in their respective areas. But hardly ever any action has been taken against them, no matter how high the crime rate in their areas. Many cases have been reported in which the police were involved. At times, the criminals allegedly proceed on their ‘missions’ after seeking approval of the police. Maybe the police respect the right of the individuals provided in Article 18 of Part II, Chapter I of the Constitution which guarantees freedom of trade, business and profession. If somebody commits a dacoity as a profession, his right should be ‘respected’ in the given situation.

The police cowardice was also exposed on various occasions. The criminals made good their escape when the police were around. Some people say in light vein that there should be a separate force to protect the policemen as their lives are as valuable as of other citizens. And if a new force is raised to provide security to policemen, many jobless people would get a source of livelihood.

But this is a decision which only the government can take.

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said recently that the situation was not as bad as was being portrayed by the media. He had claimed that situation in rural areas, where 70 per cent of the people live, is much better. He believed that the steps he was taking would help improve the situation remarkably.

The efficiency of our system can be gauged from the progress in the inquiry into an attack on the Punjab Assembly building.

It was on February 14 that some people set to fire some rooms of the Punjab Assembly building at a time when some leaders were also sitting inside. The culprits are yet to be identified and proceeded against.

MMA’s Ehsanullah Waqas raised the matter through a privilege motion. But it is where it has been four months ago.

The PPP held a convention in Murree and the police registered a case against most of the speakers, including MPA Shafqat Abbasi.

On Thursday, he raised the matter before the house, saying the police had unjustly registered against those who had just delivered some speeches or raised slogans.

Raja Basharat told him that the case had been registered only against those who were responsible for firing on the occasion. There was no firing there. Maybe, some crackers were exploded, replied Shafqat Abbasi.

From mere speeches he came to crackers. “Isn’t he a good lawyer and a lawmaker”, said some people in the press gallery.

“He can easily have his client convicted if he is defence counsel”, commented a journalist.