Governing Strategies in Re-Imaging Punjab Police: An Assessment

Abstract

Good governance is the framework of activities and behaviour of the state institutions with the pursuance of the career of the individuals to achieve the objective of the public good at large. Transparency, accountability and rule of law are the foremost checks in an efficient governance system (Pacific, 2012). Like other public sector departments of the Punjab, governance issues of policing are not unique to the Punjab Police. Mainly, the problems of governance in Punjab Police are due to the inherited legacy of colonial rule and mindset. The paper argues that inadequate and extremely varied ways the Punjab Police exercise its authority in the prevention and detection of crime is the source of dissatisfaction for the general public. The given preferences and adopting the policies to deal the community without considering the ingrediencies of good governance mismatch the Police at par with the community needs. The orthodox police governance is critical in maintaining public trust, upholding human rights, ensuring accountability, transparency, rule of law, and legitimacy (Suddle, Police-Executive Relationship in Pakistan, 2007). Qualitative policing depends on considerable changes in the criminal justice system for re-imaging police perception and impression to achieve the ultimate goal of good governance with transparency, equality and rule of law for the satisfaction of the community.