Saddar police station, Kamaliya:

The second public-police session of this quarter was held on 29th December 2011. It was conducted within the jurisdiction of the Kamaliya Sadar Police Station, Tehsil Kamaliya District T.T.Singh.
More than 70 people attended this session out of which 65 were self-signed registered participants. Following are some of the key points discussed in the event.

Mr. Muhammad Ahsan, Program Area Coordinator-Nawan Lahore Police Station, introduced Transparency International’s global perspective, mission, aims, objective and its evolution in Pakistan. He further informed that collectively we have to be more conscious about our duties instead of rights. If every person recognized his responsibilities towards his fellow man and state, it would be much easier to defeat corruption from society.

Mr. Mehar Waris Bharwana, DSP Tehsil Kamalia, spoke on the “Rule of Law”.  He explained, “We live in an increasingly global society and we are more interconnected as human beings than ever before. The injustices in Pakistan cannot be ignored. Lawyers the world over must not rest until democracy and the rule of law have been restored in Pakistan.” He said that the current report of Transparency International was encouraging as it showed that we were striving to purify police departments from corruption but obviously, he added, it will take time. He said that the policemen are burdened by performing their duties 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He said that Transparency International should strive to capture influential, corrupt people instead of concentrating solely on a lowly official that takes Rs10, Rs20 or Rs50 bribes. Though, he added, there was no doubt that corruption at the minimum level is also corruption and should be banned. “I am committed to eliminating corruption with the support of likeminded people, may it be on any level,” he said, concluding his speech.

Ms. Salma Habib, Advocate, spoke on corruption that takes place through the violation of human rights. She said that depriving women from their inheritance is a subject that is hardly ever voiced and is one of the major corruptions that they face silently. This, along with many other right-related issues, need to be brought to the forefront and given their due importance.

Mr. Liqauat Bhatti, Advocate, spoke on the freedom and social responsibility aspect in relation to eliminating the corruption from Pakistan. He defined the basic rights available to every member of the society and the responsibilities imposed by society on him in turn. He strongly emphasized on the availability of these rights to every citizen, regardless of any discrimination. He said that the imbalance between these rights results in the form of a dispute which destroys the beauty of a peaceful society. He explained that Transparency International Pakistan is a fair and unbiased institution, as per the set procedures by the government and its own bylaws. The violation of these set procedures is called bad governance and corruption. He said that bad corruption results in the form of bribery and irregularities and the destruction of the institutions, which ultimately results in the failure of the state and nation. He emphasized upon the rule of law for good governance. He narrated many examples from the Pakistani society, including the police department, which he said had lost its integrity on account of the rampant corruption. After his speech, he held a question and answer session.  

Mr. Nasir Mehmood Salimi, Program Area Coordinator-Kamaliya Police Station, said that the police and public cooperation for the alleviation of corruption along with crime may leave a positive impact in the current adverse climate. He emphasised on creating harmony between the public and the police so that the police could perform its duties with more of an impact.
After the speeches ended, a question-and-answer session took place in which the public actively participated and asked different questions from the police officials present there. The DSP Kamaliya and SHO Sardar Kamaliya answered all the questions in detail and satisfied the participants. Leaflets containing information about how to lodge an FIR were also handed out to the eager participants, along with information to contact Transparency International.
The event came to an end when more views were exchanged by each group of stakeholders, who demanded that similar sessions should be held within the jurisdiction on a regular basis.