IN the wake of a successful democratic transition in Pakistan, the capacity of the new governments to ensure citizen security in the face of multiple national and international threats should be high on the agenda.

In the recently conducted social audit by the United Nations Development Programme, security, terrorism and law and order were universally ranked in the top three concerns of citizens across Pakistan. An overwhelming reliance on military institutions has diverted capacity, resources and public trust away from the police, which, in another public perceptions survey, was described by over 90pc of respondents as corrupt.

Civilian policing is an important institutional pillar in any modern democratic state, and it is an essential role of elected governments to ensure community safety, and to be held to account when it is compromised. Finding and supporting effective and fair ways to reduce crime and improve community safety is thus a top priority to building a culture predicated on the rule of law.

The burden of history weighs heavily on the police in Pakistan. Colonial policing aimed at control and coercion, and this legacy was maintained by both military and civilian governments alike. Therefore, reforming the police will be no small task. In the 65 years since the country’s independence, the police as an institution have been subject to consistent criticism, allegations of corruption and bias, and ad hoc reform.

As it stands today, the police services of Pakistan constitute a complex structure comprising 21 separate institutions, under six different reporting lines and a large number of law-enforcement personnel — an estimated 625,000 in total. Many of the country’s policing and law-enforcement institutions require strengthening: they are often poorly motivated, badly funded, under-equipped and trained; and operate within archaic and unclear legal frameworks.

There has been a steady increase in crime rates across Pakistan, and most notably a growth in serious and organised crime. This has emerged differently in different provinces — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have both been seriously affected by terrorism and insurgency.

In Sindh, the challenges of policing Karachi, and the associated problems of civil unrest and targeted killings have been defining features.

In Punjab there has been a steady increase in crimes against property and other forms of violent crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, as well as a growth in crimes related to technology and the internet. Across the nation, countering terrorism and violent extremism continue to pose a mortal threat.

Strengthening the capacity for civilian policing is urgently required. Surveys on police performance and community perceptions of policing show an organisation in crisis, one which has completely lost the trust of the citizens it is meant to serve.

The police are perceived as more corrupt than any other public service or professional institution in Pakistan; the police overwhelmingly provide preferential treatment to those with family, business or political influence.

Investments in reform and efforts to change this paradigm between the police and the people will be required if community perceptions are to change and public security is to improve.

The goal of any reform process is to create a policing system which is politically neutral, non-authoritarian, accountable and responsive to the community, professionally efficient and most importantly, a true instrument of the rule of law. With the passage of the 18th Amendment, the primary responsibility for public order and policing has shifted from the federal to the provincial level.

This is a critical juncture for police reforms in Pakistan. None of the past attempts which sought to change the fundamental conditions and legal framework within which policing is conducted, has ever gained real traction. Police services need to be operationally autonomous, highly accountable and service- oriented with a mechanism for enhancing professionalism.

They require the authority to lead and manage their day-to-day operations in accordance with due process and without interference. This includes the ability to conduct investigations without fear or favour. Emphasis on capacity building of police officers should not only focus on technical skills but also on building and inculcating an ethos of service delivery and community orientation.

Despite the clear importance and the level of need, there has been very little debate to reform the police from an institutional standpoint during the last five years. The recent elections clearly reflect the public demand for the rule of law and effective policing. Therefore, a policy dialogue on police reforms should set the stage for an informed debate and decisions to have apolitical, professional and accountable police services.

Many of the challenges presented in the current context in Pakistan have been considered elsewhere and there is a significant body of experience and lessons to be drawn from such international best practice. Forums which bring together engaged and committed national and international stakeholders can add significant value by promoting debate, informing key decision-makers, aligning priorities and catalysing an agenda for change.

The writers are advisers to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime on rule of law and criminal justice.