Govt needs to wake up: CJP expresses regret over motorway gang-rape

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed has expressed regret over the Lahore Motorway gang-rape, saying that the government needs to wake up and immediately restore the credibility of the police department.

The Chief Justice expressed his views during his speech at the closing ceremony of a training workshop for District Commercial Court judges in Lahore today (Friday).

“Such incidents were reflective of a politicised police force that has failed to provide adequate protection to citizens,” CJP added. He pointed out that effective policing was indispensable for the government to maintain law and order.

“However, it seems that policing in the country has been politicized, through which the life and property of the people are not safe and even innocent travellers on the highway meet serious crimes,” he remarked.

The Chief Justice further said that it was shameful to note that neither any security system nor a safety mechanism was placed on the motorway where the gang-rape occurred.

“The government needs to restore the credibility of the police department by allowing its ranks to take initiative and decide the issues of the police department themselves,” he added.

He also said that no amount of any interference should be made either by the government or by any political person in the police force. “Policing in Pakistan seems to be in the hands of unprofessional and inept persons,” he added.

Commenting on the recent developments in Punjab Police, CJP Gulzar said that the recent developments were a sign of deteriorating policing system and the level of political interference in the department.

“No police force can function as a disciplined and professional force until it is de-shackled from politics and allowed to run as a thoroughly disciplined force responsible for its own conduct,” the chief justice concluded.