Policemen are supposed to protect civilians from thugs and criminals, but what happens when policemen themselves are committing crimes?
Recently, a mobile video captured four policemen harassing and manhandling a couple in Seaview, Karachi. The police pointed guns at the couples and demanded money and have since been dismissed from duty.
Investigations revealed that this was not a one-off incident. The four policemen worked together to harass and blackmail couples. The SSP in charge lamented that a few bad seeds bring a bad name to the force.
In October last year, Karachi’s police chief made an imp announcement: Policemen are not allowed to ask couples to prove they were married.
The harassment and humiliation of couples would no longer be tolerated. The chief’s staff was told to issue “strict instructions to subordinate staff” regarding this but clearly, somewhere along the line, the message was disregarded.
Another concern is why this abuse of power was allowed for so long?
After all, no one carries around their Nikkah Nama to show to the police, and yet the police’s moral policing went unchecked and why aren’t other cities following Karachi’s footsteps?
Historically, only privileged couples took their cases of police’s harassment to the police. But now, with the power of social media and phone cameras, abusive policemen will be easier to expose.
Do you think social media and phone cams will achieve what the police chief couldn’t?
Recently, a mobile video captured four policemen harassing and manhandling a couple in Seaview, Karachi. The police pointed guns at the couples and demanded money and have since been dismissed from duty.
Investigations revealed that this was not a one-off incident. The four policemen worked together to harass and blackmail couples. The SSP in charge lamented that a few bad seeds bring a bad name to the force.
In October last year, Karachi’s police chief made an imp announcement: Policemen are not allowed to ask couples to prove they were married.
The harassment and humiliation of couples would no longer be tolerated. The chief’s staff was told to issue “strict instructions to subordinate staff” regarding this but clearly, somewhere along the line, the message was disregarded.
Another concern is why this abuse of power was allowed for so long?
After all, no one carries around their Nikkah Nama to show to the police, and yet the police’s moral policing went unchecked and why aren’t other cities following Karachi’s footsteps?
Historically, only privileged couples took their cases of police’s harassment to the police. But now, with the power of social media and phone cameras, abusive policemen will be easier to expose.
Do you think social media and phone cams will achieve what the police chief couldn’t?