Barrister Qazi Naveed
In recent years, Pakistan’s police force has gradually shifted from being a law enforcement institution to a political tool used for control, fear, and power. No longer viewed primarily as protectors of the public, police officers are now commonly associated with political raids, violations of privacy, mistreatment of women, and extrajudicial killings. These actions indicate a deep-rooted cultural transformation—where enforcing power has replaced enforcing the law.
The problem is not isolated or incidental; it represents a broader institutional pattern. This isn’t simply about rogue officers or unfortunate incidents—this is about an internalized shift in psychology and practice within the entire force. Police raids on political opponents, the desecration of homes, and blatant abuse of authority have become routine. These aren’t exceptional acts; they’ve become structural practices that undermine the spirit of justice and accountability.
This trend of violent policing reflects a systemic and psychological shift rather than temporary behavioral anomalies. The police force has absorbed a new identity—one rooted in power, not service. As a result, officers now often perceive themselves as extensions of the state’s coercive machinery rather than its civic arm. The emphasis has quietly shifted from the rule of law to the rule of force, and from due process to unchecked aggression.
This transformation is most visible in the operations of Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Departments (CTDs), which have become symbols of extrajudicial enforcement. While these units claim to serve national security, they have increasingly bypassed judicial processes in favor of lethal force. Extrajudicial killings are now seen by some as indicators of success. But in a lawful, civilized society, the death of a suspect without trial is not a victory—it is a travesty.
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When officers begin to believe that killing a suspect is more effective than prosecuting them, the core of justice collapses. What begins as state-sanctioned force ends in systematic abuse. Such normalization of violence sends a dangerous signal: that lawlessness is acceptable when committed in the name of the state. This impunity not only endangers citizens but corrodes the legal system itself. It offers a template for abuse that can spread across other state institutions.
Even more concerning is the psychological toll this unchecked power has taken on the police force itself. Officers, once trained to de-escalate conflict, now often resort to force as a default. This isn’t just operational drift—it’s mental conditioning. The police culture is now one of dominance, not discipline. That cultural shift is reinforced when there’s no accountability. With each act of aggression that goes unpunished, brutality becomes policy.
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This makes it essential to humanize the police force—urgently and fundamentally. Humanizing the police does not mean weakening them; it means anchoring their authority in law, rights, and ethics. Officers must be retrained to view themselves as protectors, not predators. Psychological counselling, human rights education, and strict legal compliance should be at the heart of police reform. Without this reorientation, any reform effort will merely scratch the surface of a deeply infected system.
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Cosmetic changes will not solve this problem. Genuine structural reforms are needed. Accountability must become non-negotiable, and every officer must be made answerable to the public they serve. Impunity must end. The police must function as a civilian institution under the Constitution, not as a paramilitary force operating under political orders. Failure to implement this vision will not only continue harming citizens—it will eventually undermine the state itself.
