Why extra-judicial killings are not stopping

ISLAMABAD: As extra judicial-killings become a norm and claim to fame of our law enforcement agencies, with the latest chapter written by the Sindh Rangers who shot dead an unarmed youth in Karachi, police officers blame lack of accountability and political will to arrest this trend. Never ever a law enforcement agent has been hanged for such killings. Resultantly they feel emboldened instead, said a serving policeman. In rest of the world, judicial inquiry is mandatory for every suspicious murder but the power of ordering this in Pakistan has been put at the discretion of the high-ups who only direct so when a murder creates public uproar and again the findings are neither made public nor implemented, say security experts. An attempt to hold law enforcement officials accountable for extra-judicial killing was made in Pakistan but foiled by the political elite, no matter their personal sufferings that could not teach them any lesson though. When Police Order 2002 was drafted, it carried an important clause making it mandatory that all suspicious murders will automatically be ascertained through a judicial inquiry to be presided by an officer not less than District and Session Judge. And that no permission is required from the government for doing this. Ironically, this clause was abolished in 2004 thanks to the stiff opposition from the Chaudhrys of Gujrat whose father, Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, was also killed through extra-judicial means, said a police officer involved in that exercise. Now, a judicial inquiry cannot be held unless ordered by the government. When this clause was abolished, the clause relating to police complaint authority was also dropped. In no part of the civilized world, a murderer goes unpunished except in Pakistan where the culture of impunity is rampant, they say. Kharotabad incident in Quetta where five Chechens were killed through indiscriminate firing of FC, the murder of senior journalist Saleem Shahzad by shadowy agencies and now the killing of a youth in Karachi by Sindh Rangers is chilling reminders of the state of lawlessness prevailing in Pakistan. “It is sheer due to lack of accountability. If you know you can get away with it, you keep committing such crime,” said a veteran police officer. Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s statement further testifies the observation of the police officer. Instead of focusing on the crime of extra-judicial killing by the Rangers, the minister explained at length before the National Assembly that the slain youth was involved in criminal activities. The police experts say that in western policing system, a judicial officer is dedicated for investigating suspicious murders and only doing so help them keep the law enforcers in control. Before the Police Order 2002, a magistrate-rank officer used to be assigned the task of holding judicial inquiry, a task unbecoming for that level of officer. It was considered faulty for two reasons, say the police officers. First, executive magistrate is too junior for this and second he can’t assert authority even over an SHO, the police officers say. Now in present situation, a Session Judge holds inquiry only if ordered by the government and this way majority of the cases go unreported allowing the law enforcement agencies spreading terror among the masses.