Republic Policy intends to place police reforms at the centre of its upcoming seminar, examining the issue within the broader framework of governance and federalism in Pakistan. The central argument is that police reform should not be confined to administrative adjustments or partial changes within the existing structure. Instead, the policing system should be reorganised in accordance with Pakistan’s constitutional, federal and local government framework.
President of Republic Policy Tahir Maqsood Cheema, himself a retired SSP, has conducted research on police reforms. Drawing upon his professional experience, the administrative and investigative challenges encountered during his service, and relevant reports, he has examined the existing policing structure and proposed areas for reform. A central principle of this approach is that the institutional structure of policing should correspond to the responsibilities assigned to different tiers of government.
Republic Policy maintains that the question of police reform is fundamentally connected with federalism, distribution of authority and responsibility for law and order. Where governmental powers are distributed among federal, provincial and local levels, policing responsibilities should also reflect this constitutional distribution. In simpler terms, every tier of government should possess the appropriate institutional capacity to maintain law and order within its constitutional jurisdiction.
Under such a framework, matters of major national, federal or interprovincial security significance may be addressed at the federal level, while policing falling within provincial jurisdiction should remain the responsibility of provincial governments. Similarly, local governments should have an effective role in dealing with local law and order, municipal security and everyday policing requirements. Policing responsibilities can therefore be distributed from higher to lower levels according to the nature of the function and the jurisdiction involved.
This principle is particularly important because direct intervention by a centralised or federal institution within another jurisdiction can generate questions concerning provincial autonomy and the constitutional distribution of powers. In a federal state, effective policing is not merely about exercising coercive authority; it also requires establishing an appropriate constitutional balance between authority, responsibility and accountability.
Pakistan therefore needs a clearly defined institutional understanding between the Federation and the provinces regarding policing and security responsibilities. In accordance with the spirit of federalism, the law-and-order functions of each tier of government should be clearly determined. On this basis, the federal, provincial and local dimensions of policing can be structured so that every institution operates within its lawful jurisdiction while remaining accountable for maintaining public order and protecting citizens.
