Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The fourth daylong Retired Inspectors General of Police Conference was held on Saturday in Islamabad, which was hosted by Association of Former Inspectors General of Police (AFIGP).

The theme of the conference was ‘Future of Police Reforms in Pakistan’.

More than 100 retired inspectors general, serving inspectors general of police, besides a galaxy of local and foreign distinguished guests attended the conference. Former IG Dilshad Najmuddin was the chief guest on the occasion.

A wide range of presentations were made on different topics, including ‘how to enforce rule of law’ ‘need to rethink policing’ ‘community policing’ ‘coordination / cooperation among police leadership’. Saud Mirza, Former FIA director general gave a presentation on ‘Police Heritage: Sindh Police Museum’.

The general body passed various resolutions and urged governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and the federal and provincial legislatures to take measures to ensure that police organisations respect the dignity inherent in the individual during the discharge of their duties in the maintenance of law and order.

The conference urged that federal and provincial legislatures to support structural and functional reforms in policing and in establishment of independent civilian policing oversight mechanisms, where they do not exist, which shall include civilian participation.

The conference passed the resolution of supporting a police and criminal justice system reforms process by establishment of independent oversight and complaint redressal mechanism and standardisation of the police law. They also resolved that organic laws of police require standardisation and uniformity within the constitutional and legal framework in order to establish structural institutional requirements of the 21st century.

They further resolved that depoliticisation of police should be supported by establishing and operationalising apolitical, independent police oversight structures such as the public safety commissions mandated by the provisions of the Police Order 2002.

It was shared that independent police complaints authorities should be established so that complaints against police could be addressed through an effective, fair and credible institutional framework provided in the police law. It was also resolved that a meaningful consultation process be initiated and supported for reforms in police across the country embracing the philosophy and core tenets of community policing and establishment of independent police oversight mechanisms to realize citizen-focused, service-oriented, modern, democratic, and accountable policing and law enforcement institutions in Pakistan that are efficient and effective in managing the growing challenges being faced by the country.

A resolution was also passed to improve governance of the Police Service of Pakistan. it was further resolved that the National Police Bureau (NPB) be upgraded as a division and adequately resourced and empowered to enable it to effectively manage human resource, service and governance matters of the members of the Police Service of Pakistan.

It was also resolved that all orders of federal and provincial governments in Pakistan accord importance to allocation of adequate and sufficient financial, logistical and other resources aligned with local priorities of policing and law enforcement institutions to enable discharge of their respective mandates and to effectively negotiating the current challenges to security and public order within the area of presence and within the resources given.

Published in Daily Times, April 1^st 2018.