Daily Times

It was Thursday last week. A friend called me at around 6:30 pm, and asked me to watch the news. Intrigued, I grabbed the remote control, and was in for a treat. Channel after channel reporting a ‘hostage’ situation with frenzied reporters, untrained anchors, flashing tickers. It was a soap opera better than any I had ever watched!

Lamenting the fact that here was the material for my next article, but absolutely no way to get it in for the next day as the one I had written earlier was already in print, I started to jot down my thoughts as the saga continued: “The laughable ‘hostage’ situation being telecast live by an irresponsible media right now shows how foolish and incompetent our police and media are. What ‘hostages’? The woman and children are free to walk around; the ‘hostage-taker’ and his ‘hostage-wife-mediator’ are continuously talking on mobile phones, presumably to their handlers; the police cannot even cordon off the area; the ‘awaam’ (people) are watching with rapt enthusiasm as if it is the shooting of a movie; the footage is being shown ‘live’ and sensationalised by ill-trained reporters; tickers saying ‘khauf-o-harass’ (fear and panic) in the area are running on TV, and belied by the onlookers who refuse to move lest they miss something. One sniper shot or even a tranquilising dart or a Taser, that is all that is required. A Rehman Malik look-alike and Islamabad police needs diapers! Train our untrained police and media.”

Was it a traffic violation that started the whole fiasco? There were reports that the family was coming back from Murree; they certainly had enough food, water, Red Bull, baggage and two automatic weapons. Media footage showed the children playing while their parents chatted; in a ‘live’ interview the ‘hostage’ wife grabbed the phone to say that her husband was doing the right thing, and was neither drunk nor under the influence of any other substance. The police strategy was being broadcast ‘live’ with shots showing deployment and peripheral areas. There was news and footage of raids on the hotel and the suspects’ home in Hafizabad. All this time the culprit and his wife had mobile phone access to the outside world.

People were cursing on various social networking sites. A police-officer friend in response to my tirade commented: “It happens daily. Police is not at all professional in any province. It is just that the media has exposed it!” The SSP Operations was seen coming and going, interacting with the ‘hostage’ and the ‘hostage-taker’ with immense patience, and it was said that the police was being careful because of the woman and two children. The interior minister’s ‘direction’ to take the suspect alive were doing the rounds on the television; the police was reported as saying its hands were tied. There were multiple instances when the suspect could have been taken out, after ensuring the children’s safety first but for whatever reason, the decision to act swiftly was delayed. My brother-in-law updated his status on FB: “Right now ‘Hangover IV’ being staged live in Islamabad.” Around 9:30 pm, ‘tents’ were put up and he chimed: “Tamboo sajj gaye hein…Sikandar ka walima hua hi chahta hai!” I called someone who was at the actual venue. He was laughing and opined that the police was confused and their wits scattered, as they had no idea how to proceed!

Then a PPP stalwart, Zamurad Khan, decided to take the law into his own hands and film the drop scene. Khan was as frustrated as I was getting except he had the advantage over me of being on the scene! He did exactly what one in a hostage/crisis- negotiation /situation is not supposed to do. Frustrated and eager to take the crown, he broke the law, interfered in and obstructed the state’s business and jeopardised the lives of others. He did not secure the children or cared for the people standing by. Sloppy and untrained, standing only a few feet away from the suspect he pounced on him, slipping and falling to the ground, resulting in panic and indiscriminate firing by the goon, making the ‘hero’ flee for his life leaving the children in the direct line of fire! That is the reason why developed countries psychologically screen members of a crisis team. An irate friend posted on FB: “Such a poor action by Zamurad Khan. Poor strategy; wrong decision. Where the hell are the snipers, commandos? These politicians want to take all credit by hook or by crook. It was not the role of any political person. The forces should come forward.” Another smirked: “Five hours of live comedy climaxed in an act of valour!!” But since we live in Pakistan, PPP adds a ‘ghazi’ to their list of ‘martyrs’! And, in spite of all the Red Bull the suspect reportedly drank, it could not give him wings! I hate soap operas, especially badly scripted, produced and directed ones!

Our police force is ill-trained and ill-equipped to handle such situations. The Punjab police was undergoing integrated police-army terrorist training courses a couple of years ago. The same should be made a mandatory part of training at all levels in all provinces. A special tactical force — a ‘SWAT’ type team — should be created. One of the main duties of the police is to protect the public; we saw a serious failure in that. No area was cordoned off or perimeter established. Requests do not cut it, authority does in such times. Islamabad still has the old system of the Deputy Commissioner/District Magistrate, who traditionally had control over the police and was responsible for law and order. Where was he in all this and how did the SSP get saddled with the burden? It is unfortunate that no past government probably considered hiring or training police personnel in hostage and crisis negotiations, where psychology figures and not frustrated bravado. An effectively trained crisis response team consisting of a team leader, an on-scene commander, negotiator (primary and back-ups), intelligence officer, information officer and public information officer should be formed. That team would then be responsible for making deployment decisions in emergencies, establishing perimeters, forming a liason with other departments and services, gathering information about the suspect and dispensing information to the public, without compromising the operation.

The media owners need to get out of the ratings game, train personnel and formulate and adhere to a responsible code of conduct, which does not jeopardise anyone’s life or the ongoing operation and yet provides the public accurate and unsensationalised information. The reluctance on the part of the police to take swift action may have roots in incidents like the Jamia Hafsa; when suspects were gunned down people were elated. Subsequently, those suffering from memory lapses wanted registration of cases against the law enforcers, conveniently forgetting how many had to lay down their lives to curb the baton and weapon-wielding suspects! Protecting our forces in discharge of lawful duties is vital for their morale and effective law enforcement, as is putting an end to meddling and patronage by politicians, especially in postings and transfers. The PPP, after advising Benazir Bhutto to take her head out of a bullet-proof car, subjecting us to years of terrorism, a failed province, serious security lapses — including Governor Salmaan Taseer’s assassination — has given us two options: Sikander or Zamurad, the rule of law not being one!

A proverb “Bandar ko bithaya bajray ki rakhi” (Monkeys have been tasked with guarding the millet) says it all. The monkeys responsible should be identified and protection of the millet ensured for a secure Pakistan.

The writer is an advocate of the High Court