Vol. 4 No. 4 (2021): Pakistan Journal of International Affairs
Articles

PROSPECTS AND BARRIERS OF POLICE REFORMS IN PAKISTAN

Published 2021-12-10

Abstract

Pakistan inherited an outdated police apparatus from the British in 1947. In the past, poor law and order management has frequently been mentioned as a significant justification for military takeovers. In Pakistan, the Police Order 2002 superseded the almost 141-year-old 1861 Police Act. There is a deliberate misperception that the Police Order 2002 has been repealed following the 18th Amendment. There are no scientifically validated productivity standards or suitable parameters for meaningful work task analysis. The promotion policy, determined by seniority and cumulative fitness, is not intended to select the very best. Accountability measures for substandard performance are almost non-existent. The issue required fundamentally altering police operations, cultivating a subculture of professionalism, bringing forward educated and prepared individuals to respect the rule of law, and transitioning away from repressive policing techniques that date back more than a century to community policing