Police capacity and autonomy issues in sectarian crimes and enforcement of anti-terror laws in Punjab

Abstract

Contemporary research mainly relates police ineffectiveness in sectarian crimes prevention-investigation and enforcement of anti-terror laws to disorganized police infrastructure, a shortage of manpower, a lack of professionalism and limited access to modern equipment. This article, by applying capacity (i.e. manpower, resources, professional and technical training, etc.) and autonomy (effective and neutral exercise of powers within mandates delegated to them) concepts, aims to examine police effectiveness in the enforcement of anti-sectarian laws in the context of interference in their functions by the political executive and the State’s Army. It addresses the question: How do police capacity and autonomy issues affect police effectiveness in prevention-investigation of sectarian crimes and enforcement of anti-terror laws? This article applies a mixed method research approach by using data from books, journal articles, newspapers, TV talk shows, online sources and interviews. It relates the police’s effectiveness in prevention-investigation of sectarian crimes and enforcement of anti-terror laws to their capacity and autonomy issues in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It argues that the police due to capacity and autonomy issues cannot exercise delegated powers impartially, which affects their effectiveness in prevention-investigation of sectarian crimes and enforcement of anti-terror laws.