In the movie “Lawrence of Arabia”, during a fight scene, Lawrence kills a man and then starts trembling. His colleagues comfort him, saying, “Relax, it is a part of war.” Lawrence replies, “I am not worried because I killed somebody, but what bothers me is a feeling of joy in doing so”.
Sadly, those in power, in the outbursts of their authority, take pride in extrajudicial killing and, above all, yield pleasure out of it. Since the fateful September of yesteryear, the guardians of law have unleashed a wave of brutality that has snuffed out 238 lives. The macabre theater of death has found its way into cities, rural areas, katchas, and mountains, and yet crime and terrorism remain unabated – the fact they fail to comprehend. Whereas the equation is simple: lawbreakers cannot be beaten by breaking the law.
Unfortunately, excesses in the use of power are a universal phenomenon. But in the modern world, it is resisted with full power. The whole of France is burning just because the police overstepped their authority: Nehal, a boy of Algerian descent, was shot dead by the French police, allegedly for not having a driver’s license. In the USA, the riots that erupted after the death of George Floyd in the hands of police caused record-setting $2 Billion in damage.
Journalist Arshad Shariff was murdered in Kenya, allegedly for his outburst against the Pakistani government. Though vehemently denied, people firmly believe he was silenced forcefully and has tarnished the reputation of those in power beyond comprehension.
In our part of the world, the narrative is outdated, and nobody buys it: “The accused in custody was being taken for identification, attacked by his accomplices, and died by the rescuers’ gunfire. Ironically, the cops always remain unharmed. The act though generally committed by junior officers, the order often originates from high-ups. The trigger-happy constable takes it as a license to kill and thus is born an encounter specialist. They kill one for the state and then many for the lust of money and to settle personal scores.
Here, the masses do not know their rights or are too pressed otherwise, the situation could have been much worse as being witnessed in France or suffered by the American police after Floyd’s death.
As an ASP and then as SSP in Quetta, we arrested a hardened criminal. I did receive instructions to send him to hell there and then. “No, Let the law takes its course” was my flat refusal. When they insisted, I asked them to come and do it themselves. The demand quietened then. When IGP Sindh, I visited the orthopedic ward of the prison and was stunned to see all the inmates had gunshots in their right knee. The reason was visible. The worst part is no lesson is learnt from such actions as these bring bad names to police force and breed a sense of hatred among the masses.
Do they kill to eradicate crime, or do they take the easy route rather than investigating-or do they seek fame by pleasing some worldly gods? Instead of wasting time and money, these shorts are costing us a lot and leading nowhere. A local party in Karachi, once returned to power, killed more than 200 police officers who had participated in the operation in the 90s and were accused of staged encounters against their activists.
The consequences are dire, as law enforcers become trigger-happy, ready to unleash their deadly force at the slightest provocation or omission. No one is safe; the next victim could be anyone, their lives taken out mercilessly. The recent reporting serves as a chilling reminder, a piercing alarm that should shake the very core of our humanity and those who hold dear the principles of justice and human rights.
Police officers often face the daunting task of confronting hardened criminals, necessitating toughness and determination. In certain situations, they may engage in physical altercations or employ forceful tactics to safeguard lives and prevent further harm. However, resorting to extrajudicial killings as a deliberate strategy is a grave crime. Regrettably, there are instances where some law enforcers adopt this approach while others silently endorse it, driven by fear of retaliation or the allure of power.
It is crucial to shed light on this issue and speak out against such atrocities to break free from the shadow of complicity and uphold justice. Let us adopt a judicious approach and deal the crime and the criminal professionally. The tedious and time-consuming investigations may cause us to sweat, but it is far better than shedding the blood of some innocent.
In a remarkable act of self-restraint, Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib, while subjugating a powerful enemy, Amr ibn Abd Wadd, chose mercy over vengeance. When faced with Amr’s disrespectful act of spitting in his face, Hazrat Ali refrained from killing him, stating that he fought for Allah and not out of personal anger-profound morality and adherence to due process led to the conversion of the non-believer-why forget noble actions exemplifies the power of justice and compassion in transforming hearts and inspiring positive change.
“There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, and nothing worth killing for,” Tom Robbins.
