Sir: A few days ago, the police unleashed brutality upon disabled persons in front of the Sindh Assembly building at a time when the members of the provincial Assembly were busy in pandemonium in the House. The police severely tortured disabled people, including pregnant women. Had our thick-skinned rulers given them their constitutionally guaranteed rights, this contemptuous incident would not have taken place.
With such recurrent brutality, the entire Pakistani society nowadays lives in an environment of shock, fear and terror. This horrible incident should be fully investigated and those police personnel who committed excesses against the disabled people should be brought to justice. This kind of brutality is, indeed, unacceptable and must be stopped. The heavy handed police brutality tarnishes the image of good men and women in uniform who do their job well and serve their country. This is not the first time that we have learnt about this kind of brutality. There has been so much harsh treatment for people living in the rural parts of the country. The police capacity building organisations both at the federal and provincial level must humanise police personnel to put this brutality to an end. In the modern civilised and democratic world, I have learnt that policing means solving problems sans brutality and barbarism. Is there anyone in the police department to sensitise the rank and file to this philosophy to make the police a darling of the people, and not its sworn enemies?
HASHIM ABRO
Islamabad