Faisalabad CPO orders end to custodial torture

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Faisalabad police, taking unprecedented steps to implement reforms in its true letter and spirit, banned torture under police custody and constituted a 7-member committee headed by SSP Operation Muhammad Afzal to ensure all appointments of House Station Officers (SHOs) should be strictly based on merits.

City Police Officer Umar Saeed Malik in a written letter directed all the police officials to impose a complete ban on torturing the accused during the investigation and every detainee shall be given a Miranda Rights form to comply with Article 14 sub-section (2) of the Constitution of Pakistan, and this form must be signed duly by the investigating officer, SHO and the accused in police custody. He said in this form, the investigating officer will write why the accused was arrested, no violence was done to the accused and it is also mandatory to produce him in court within 24 hours.

It was also clarified that recently a torture cell established by the policemen was caught in  Jarranawala police station, where the citizens were subjected to torture by the policemen by illegally detaining them. At the same time, the person under custody was tortured by the police of Thakrewala police station, due to which he died. Faisalabad police authorities took strict notice of these two incidents and while taking action, 5 police officers including the SHO involved in both incidents were dismissed from their jobs while one police officer was demoted.

In this regard, City Police Officer Umar Saeed Malik said that the work of the police is to punish the accused by collecting evidence for the case through mobile data, CCTV cameras, fingerprints, DNA tests etc. It is not to prove someone guilty or innocent by violence, Therefore, any police officer or official involved in custodial torture of any accused will be dismissed from the job immediately.

Faisalabad police authorities have also prepared a merit-based policy for the posting of station House Officer (SHO) at the police station. Walk-in-interview applications were invited through wireless, social media and electronic media from willing officers for the appointment of SHOs under the policy. The Scrutiny Committee received applications from a total of 96 police officers for the appointment of SHOs, in which 24 officers were shortlisted for interview.

In the first phase, 08 eligible police officers were appointed as SHOs in the police stations on merits and due to this merit policy, a female police officer, Farah Batul, was also appointed as the SHO of Rail Bazar police station. CPO Faisalabad Umar Saeed Malik directed the SHOs to perform their duties diligently, honestly and efficiently at all times. He made it clear that strict departmental action will be taken against every police officer and official for negligence and carelessness.