The line between law enforcement and criminality is thinner than we know. The entire edifice of rule is law and the due process inherent in the concept serves to ensure that this line is maintained. The security agencies and their officials equipped with arms and ammunition are mandated to use such means of violence only under the authority of the law. For if they can’t do that, the line dissolves and there hardly remains any difference between law enforcers and petty criminals. This basic tenet of law enforcement fails in practice every other day in this country. Nine policemen associated with the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) of Karachi police are now under investigation for shooting at a car and killing a youngster in the driving seat in Defence Housing Authority. Six officials were arrested earlier, and two others surrendered on Monday. Apparently, these officials were in plain clothes when they opened fire at the car. For there to be even a modicum of efficacy in the investigation of the case, the buck must not stop at these nine officials alone. Their supervisors need to be included in investigation as well. How did these nine men get the permission to be on patrol in plain clothes? There are reports that suggest that ACLC squads routinely resort to shooting at car tyres when chasing suspected robbers. Such orders are extraordinary and must not be issued unless the situation of car lifting is beyond repair through regular patrolling. If reports about the presence of such orders are correct, the ACLC hierarchy must be made to show evidence that these orders were warranted. Their failure to justify such serious measures must result in punitive action for the higher ups in the cell. Further, it needs to be ascertained if ACLC officials are even trained to shoot targets before they are handed guns and given permission to use them arbitrarily. Effective investigation and timely punishments for all those responsible for this incident is the least the criminal justice system must do for the aggrieved family. Even if this is ensured, let us be clear that the damage done to the cause of rule of law is such that it won’t be repaired so easily. A much more concerted and a nation-wide effort involving restructuring of the entire law enforcement and internal security apparatus will be needed for that to happen. * Published in Daily Times, January 16th 2018.