KARACHI: Four police officers were arrested in Nawab Shah, a town in southern Sindh province, on Tuesday following bribery allegations made by Pakistani cricketers with international reputations.
The development follows similar incidents, including the arrest of a senior police official who seized over Rs20 million from a trader and action against three cops for harassing Afghan refugees last week, spotlighting problems within the Sindh police force.
Cricketers Sohaib Maqsood and Aamir Yamin, in near-identical posts on their social media accounts, complained about extortion, expressing gratitude for living in Punjab province. Maqsood recounted being stopped every 50 kilometers for money while traveling back from Karachi to his hometown, Multan.
Last week, a senior superintendent of police in Karachi, Imran Qureshi, was removed from his post, and his deputy, Umair Tariq Bajari, was arrested after being implicated in seizing money from a trader.
In response to these incidents, a spokesperson for the Inspector General of Police’s office told Arab News the Sindh police chief, Riffat Mukhtar, had taken notice and ordered the immediate arrest of the accused in such cases.
“The IG Sindh not only immediately ordered an impartial and fair inquiry but also took immediate legal action against those found guilty,” he said.
Mukhtar and Additional Inspector General of Karachi, Khadim Hussain Rind, however, did not respond to requests for comment.
Experts believe these cases are indicative of a much larger problem deeply ingrained in the police culture and difficult to eradicate.
“There is a perception that the situation is getting worse,” Dr. Shoaib Suddle, a former police inspector general with a degree in criminology, said.
“Unfortunately, the number of police officials involved in such crimes is not released by their department,” he continued. “People don’t always report them since they believe the system will not support them no matter how grave their complaint is.”
Suddle said it was important to make merit-based recruitments and appointments.
“Proper investigation of cases against offices and setting example by punishing the cops involved in crimes can provide us the solution,” he added.
In a series of recent incidents highlighting the impediments to actual police work, three counterterrorism department officials were arrested in September for corrupt practices, a Station House Officer (SHO) was arrested in July for alleged involvement in robberies, and 28 policemen, including SHOs, were suspended in April on suspicion of involvement in smuggling.
Additionally, three officers posted in Nawab Shah were caught robbing people in Karachi in March, and three policemen were arrested in connection with a theft in Karachi in October 2020.
In May 2020, five staff members from the Malir Cantonment police, including the station head and investigation officer, were arrested after a cache of drugs and extortion money was found in their possession. A report submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2017 by the Chief Secretary of Sindh stated that 12,000 police officers were involved in different crimes, with 184 sentenced and action recommended against 66 others.
Afzal Nadeem Dogar, a journalist reporting on crimes for over three decades, remarked that police involvement in such wrongdoings is not new, but the direct plundering of citizens in Karachi is unprecedented.
“Usually, police officials patronize criminals and get a share,” he continued. “But they mostly try to avoid targeting ordinary citizens on their own.”
Dogar said the crime culture was so deeply entrenched in the police force that its immediate eradication was not feasible.
“It’s now an integral part of the police culture, making it a major hurdle in effective policing,” he added.
Pakistan cricketers’ bribery allegations expose rampant extortion culture in Sindh Police
https://arab.news/mpqzq
Pakistan cricketers’ bribery allegations expose rampant extortion culture in Sindh Police
- Four police officers were arrested in the province on charges of taking money from Pakistani cricketers
- Last week, a senior police official was arrested for seizing over Rs20 million from a trader in a fake raid
Islamabad rebuts claims of Pakistan being used as base for possible US strike on Iran
- Pakistan information ministry attributes the ‘reckless’ claims to ‘Afghanistan and Indian X accounts’
- ’Blame-pushing narrative tries to drag Pakistan into a US-Iran conflict without any evidence,’ it adds
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday refuted reports claiming that its territory could be used as a base for a possible US military strike on Iran, calling the claims a “reckless” attempt to drag Pakistani into a US-Iran conflict.
The Pakistan information ministry’s fact check account on X attributed the claims to “propaganda machineries Afghanistan and Indian X accounts,” identifying handles that claimed the US has moved aerial refueling (KC-135R) and surveillance aircraft to Pakistan.
The ministry said X accounts, @KHoorasanM_U1, @RealBababanaras and @AFGDefense, claimed these US aircraft are conducting unusual flights toward or into Iranian airspace and that Pakistan is being used as a base to support US stealth fighters (F-35/F-22) in a possible military strike on Iran.
Citing Reuters and Washington Post, the information ministry noted that while US refueling aircraft movements have been reported, but they were mostly linked to Europe, and there is no credible proof of any US aircraft based in Pakistan or any operational flights to Iran for a possible strike.
“This is a reckless, blame-pushing narrative that tries to drag Pakistan into a US-Iran conflict without any verifiable evidence,” the information ministry said on its fact check account on X, urging people not to share sensational military stories from “propaganda pages.”
“For national security and defense matters, rely only on ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations), MoIB (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting), MoFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and reputable defense outlets.”
The development comes amid weeks of public unrest in Iran over worsening economic conditions and a government crackdown on protesters.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 572 people have been killed, including 503 protesters and 69 members of security forces. It said more than 10,600 people have been detained over the two weeks of protests.
The group relies on supporters in Iran cross-checking information, AP reported.
With the Internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
US President Donald Trump last week threatened to intervene militarily if Tehran continued to kill protesters. He said late Sunday his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran but cautioned that he may have to act before then as reports of deaths mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
Separately, China said it opposes foreign “interference” in other countries.
“We always oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news conference on Monday, when asked about Trump’s comments. “We call on all parties to do more things conducive to peace and stability in the Middle East.”
