MKRMS seminar

LAHORE: Speakers at a seminar called for better police-public liaison and training of the police force in countering terrorism with the help of modern technology. The seminar, titled ‘Role and Responsibilities of Police in Eliminating Terrorism’, was organised by the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (MKRMS) on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmad Khan said terrorism had become a universal phenomenon and there was no end to the impasse created after 9/11. He said the governments should focus on motives of terrorism, as “we are still unaware of our enemies”. Shamshad said India was equally responsible for the Mumbai attacks, as it had allowed the entry of terrorists in violation of the resolution of the Security Council passed to control terrorism by using official resources.

Shamshad said the Army operations were not a solution to terrorism, as there was a need to win the hearts by eliminating hatred. He said the police had rendered sacrifices fighting the terror wave, which started in 2002. He, however, added that the gap between the people and the police should be bridged and the VIP culture should be changed. He said that in Pakistan, over 80 per cent of the police force was deployed on the VIP security duty. He said there should be equal protection for the masses also.

IGP Tariq Saleem Dogar said wars were linked to the foreign policy of countries. He said the recent war was a guerrilla war in which the strategy of hit-and-die was being used instead of the hit-and-run approach. He said due to the poor foreign policy, terrorist activities started in Pakistan from the day it intervened in the affairs of Afghanistan to become a ‘Chaudhry’. He said there would be peace in Pakistan when peace was restored to Afghanistan. He said there was a need for independent foreign, economic and strategic policies to overcome the terrorism in Pakistan. The IG said there was a link between the roles of the police, public and media. He said justice and good behaviour were important to improve the image of the police among the masses. He said a citizen’s tip off in southern Punjab had helped the police bust a network of terrorists.

He held the media responsible for harming the image of the police among the masses by launching campaigns against police torture instead of pinpointing incidents. He said the people should play their due role, as peaceful existence was put at stake. He said the government should provide modern equipment to the police to counter terrorism. Senior journalist Suhail Waraich said the police were an extension of the people and it should have more interaction with the masses. He, however, disagreed with the views of the IGP and Shamshad Khan, saying it was the foreign policy prepared by the Quaid-i-Azam and Liaqat Ali Khan which had helped establish the Pakistan Army with foreign aid. He said the people loved the police for playing a role in eliminating terrorism, as the masses had showered monuments of martyred policemen with roses. MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi related the history of suicide attacks, saying that in the past, the suicide attacks were carried out for the defence of countries, but at the moment, these were meant for creating unrest within the countries.

Aziz Ahmad Awan said the poor image of the police had a long history and it would take time to change the views of the people. Professor Dr Riaz Ahmad Warraich of the Mayo Hospital said the government should implement a disaster management plan to reduce casualties resulting from the incidents of terrorism. IGP Tariq Saleem Dogar presided over the seminar, while Taameer-e-Pakistan Party Secretary-General Aziz Ahmad Awan was invited as a special guest.