Professor Siddiqui had served as chairman of the forestry department of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and controller examination in his last days of service, just little before his retirement. Without any doubt, he is a sincere, kind, and dutiful person. He went the extra mile to facilitate people without avarice and personal gains. I am a personal onlooker of it, and this is the reason which compelled me to write down this incident to share his sorrowful story.
After his retirement, he purchased a plot of 8 marlas in Gulshan-e-Mdina Phase1 Faisalabad. To his bad luck, his neighbour was an influential mill owner, who wanted to usurp his property by threatening him on the grounds that his house of 8 marlas will devalue his (neighbor) property's worth, which is in millions. To make it easy for both parties, professor sahib made him an offer of purchasing that plot, but he was not ready for it either. He also involved a gang to harass the professor. A respected professor registered a complaint in a nearby police station, but it seemed like the ASI himself was hapless, and he had surrendered before the mafia. Honorable CPO of Faislabad Cap(R) Sohail Chaudhry was briefed about the incident, and he insisted the ASI deal this matter with iron hands. It is expected that ASI and CPO will take strict measures to curb influential mill owner Faheem Riaz whose connections are with the encroachment group.
Is this the future of a retired teacher in this country? What is wrong with our police system? Why is there political involvement in every institution of Pakistan? When will be these institutions and departments be depoliticised, especially the police department? Will Professor Siddiqui be able to get justice? Our honorable prime minister had promised in his election campaign that he would bring not only reforms in the police department but also curb the mafia. We hope that ill-mannered mill owner Faheem Riaz will be brought to book and humble professor Siddiqui will either give back his plot, or the mill owner will pay him a due amount to the professor's purchase that plot.
Our prime minister has been working on the police reforms. To meet his promise, deliberately postings of IGs and changing of CCPOs were done because they could not comply with the Prime Minister's vision. Almost five IGs and CCPOs have changed so far In Punjab. This is the tragedy of our dear country that ardent and dexterous persons are not allowed to work.
Why am I talking about police reforms in Siddiqui sahib's case? The reason is quite apparent that if the investigation officer had adequately handled the case, things would have been settled. But this statement begets another question, i.e., whether police officers deliberately adopt such behavior in which criminals/suspects are favored whereas applicants are mentally tortured. The answer: No.
Almost all police officers want to perform their duties with full zeal, enthusiasm, loyalty, sincerity and honesty. But the politicisation of the police department has almost paralyzed it. Politics has imbued since Police Act 1861 was enacted in the subcontinent to smash freedom fighters of the war of independence. With the passage of this act, police officers came under the influence of political administration. Later, with the help of Police Order, the attitude of police officers was to be changed, but it isn’t as easy as it appears.
In recent news, the opposition has raised objections over the military's interference in civil matters, but what about political trespassing in every institution and subject? Politicians' links with hoodlums are crystal clear. These gangsters are used to fulfill heinous activities. In Siddiqui sahib's case, things seem to be going in the same way.
The victory of professor Siddiqui will be the achievement of not only a public entity but also of public institutions, i.e., police and media, as this case has highlighted on many platforms. We are expecting a just and fair decision by the law.
After his retirement, he purchased a plot of 8 marlas in Gulshan-e-Mdina Phase1 Faisalabad. To his bad luck, his neighbour was an influential mill owner, who wanted to usurp his property by threatening him on the grounds that his house of 8 marlas will devalue his (neighbor) property's worth, which is in millions. To make it easy for both parties, professor sahib made him an offer of purchasing that plot, but he was not ready for it either. He also involved a gang to harass the professor. A respected professor registered a complaint in a nearby police station, but it seemed like the ASI himself was hapless, and he had surrendered before the mafia. Honorable CPO of Faislabad Cap(R) Sohail Chaudhry was briefed about the incident, and he insisted the ASI deal this matter with iron hands. It is expected that ASI and CPO will take strict measures to curb influential mill owner Faheem Riaz whose connections are with the encroachment group.
Is this the future of a retired teacher in this country? What is wrong with our police system? Why is there political involvement in every institution of Pakistan? When will be these institutions and departments be depoliticised, especially the police department? Will Professor Siddiqui be able to get justice? Our honorable prime minister had promised in his election campaign that he would bring not only reforms in the police department but also curb the mafia. We hope that ill-mannered mill owner Faheem Riaz will be brought to book and humble professor Siddiqui will either give back his plot, or the mill owner will pay him a due amount to the professor's purchase that plot.
Our prime minister has been working on the police reforms. To meet his promise, deliberately postings of IGs and changing of CCPOs were done because they could not comply with the Prime Minister's vision. Almost five IGs and CCPOs have changed so far In Punjab. This is the tragedy of our dear country that ardent and dexterous persons are not allowed to work.
Why am I talking about police reforms in Siddiqui sahib's case? The reason is quite apparent that if the investigation officer had adequately handled the case, things would have been settled. But this statement begets another question, i.e., whether police officers deliberately adopt such behavior in which criminals/suspects are favored whereas applicants are mentally tortured. The answer: No.
Almost all police officers want to perform their duties with full zeal, enthusiasm, loyalty, sincerity and honesty. But the politicisation of the police department has almost paralyzed it. Politics has imbued since Police Act 1861 was enacted in the subcontinent to smash freedom fighters of the war of independence. With the passage of this act, police officers came under the influence of political administration. Later, with the help of Police Order, the attitude of police officers was to be changed, but it isn’t as easy as it appears.
In recent news, the opposition has raised objections over the military's interference in civil matters, but what about political trespassing in every institution and subject? Politicians' links with hoodlums are crystal clear. These gangsters are used to fulfill heinous activities. In Siddiqui sahib's case, things seem to be going in the same way.
The victory of professor Siddiqui will be the achievement of not only a public entity but also of public institutions, i.e., police and media, as this case has highlighted on many platforms. We are expecting a just and fair decision by the law.