Rida Hussain |
“Justice delayed is justice denied”.
Possibly, the launch of a mobile application by the Punjab Government to monitor the police can be the first step to cure the stigma of delayed justice which undisputedly has paralyzed our legal system.
Our political elite instead of focusing on core issues plaguing the society is bent upon ribbon cuttings of mega projects which actually never materialize. This, unfortunately, has become a precedent followed religiously by politicians and legislators to sustain their vote bank.
Where the department of Police and Judiciary are the two arms working in conjunction towards the supremacy of law, much lesser weightage has been given to repair the unproductive legal and lower judiciary system in Pakistan,. Though in the recent years, judiciary has dust off the rusts and is gradually gearing towards its full potential. There are still many reparatory work required to mend the wrecks amid the highly politicized legal system.
The mobile application has been launched to hasten the administrative process from the end of Police for timely completion of cases and monitoring of the work of officers pursuing these cases in the courts. The app would keep senior officials, including regional police officers (RPOs) and district police officers (DPOs) updated about the number of cases pending with courts and their status.
Is the launch of an app sufficient to change the “Thana Culture”?
IT evolutions and advancements may help the police officers but the dilemma of obstruction of justice is more multidimensional than just being an administrative one. Complex issues need to be tackled to bring swiftness in the delivery of justice. The launch of an app must be coupled with real actions to make our legal system robust.
There are presently no ways to probe in the cases where the police uses its illegal powers to create an obstruction of justice. There are ample cases reported each day where the police’s departments incorporation with the victims maligns the whole justice process.
It can safely be concluded that the current Thana Culture is another expression of feudalism.
The lack of knowledge on the part of victims about their legal rights is also the disturbing reality, which let these innocent victims exploited by the powerful and the police itself.
Even if the cases are registered and an investigation is launched, the ineptness, monetary corruption and the lack of dedication on the part of lower judiciary either delay the cases or deliberately pass unjust verdicts.
The sheer incompetence and corruption in the legal and judicial system have contributed towards inducing disruptions in the overall legal system.
Some examples of dismal legal system
Model Town massacre is a pure demonstration of all the ills plaguing the Punjab Police department. The political agendas turned out to be a two-edged sword, which caused 14 deaths and compromised the impartiality of the police department.
The Kasur Children abuse case and what ever that happened in the aftermath provided on plate the proofs of the ineptness found in the setup. Not only the judiciary was able to set some hard examples for the culprits but the Police also largely failed to weaken the criminals in the region. Such cases continued to be reported in the region but victim’s family despite of huge outcry and protests remained unaddressed by the legal setup.
Punjab is not the only province where political interference has disrupted the policing. A.D. Khwaja and his rift with the Provincial Interior Minister Sindh is a prime example of political interference in affairs of the Sindh police.
The launch of an application is plausible since it’s a sincere effort by the Police department to address administrative inefficiencies. The launch of an application by the Police department to enlighten the people about their legal rights can be a more constructive and cohesive act to uplift the supremacy of law in the society.