Shrink the Army, Expand the Police

Posted on October 1, 2009
Filed Under >Syed Abbas Raza, Law & Justice, Politics
34 Comments
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Syed Abbas Raza

It is impossible to effectively address Pakistan’s myriad problems so long as security conditions continue to deteriorate. We are unable to control our own territory as armed militias and criminal gangs run amok in our cities, towns and villages.

Sectarian violence is growing unabated. Business is fearful and the economy in tatters. Many of those with resources are making plans to migrate. Meanwhile, terrorist organisations freely launch attacks at home and abroad, with the government unable to provide security even in the capital.

Since we have sunk to this point mostly during Gen Musharraf’s nine years in power, it is time to re-examine the fundamental security strategy of Pakistan.

For decades the army has functioned under the increasingly questionable assumption that the greatest threat the country faces is a military confrontation with India. The armed services have accordingly consumed great proportions of Pakistan’s tight budget ($4.4bn for fiscal year 2008-2009, a seven per cent increase over the previous year) in preparation and readiness for a conventional war that they cannot win. As part of the same strategic objective, in the hopes of keeping large numbers of Indian troops (close to 700,000 at last count) occupied in Indian-held Kashmir, the army allegedly trained fundamentalist militant groups and encouraged them to wage attacks there.

At the same time, it is alleged that our military and intelligence establishment trained and supported the Taliban in Afghanistan with the purpose of having a friendly government on the western border over which Pakistan could exercise its influence (all part of the dubious policy of ‘strategic depth’ in case of a war with India). Of course, the predictable blowback from these operations has resulted in the current state of near-complete lawlessness in large parts of the country, as well as every province being awash in weapons.

Have any strategic goals been reached? No. Is the Kashmir problem any closer to a solution? No. Do we have a friendly government on our western border? No. What we have achieved is an insecure and crumbling state that could well become a pariah in the international community.

We have already demonstrated we possess a credible nuclear deterrent and must realise that we hurt only ourselves by imagining India as an enemy hell-bent on our destruction. India is a fast-growing economic giant, focused on lifting itself out of poverty. It has little to gain from any attempts to capture Pakistani territory and everything to gain by having a stable and prosperous neighbour as a trading partner. The Kashmir issue can and should be resolved through diplomatic pressure and international support.

In any case, we must ask ourselves whether the well-being of 170 million Pakistanis can be forever held hostage to the fate and future of the Muslim community in Indian-held Kashmir, especially after more than 60 years of support has not improved the situation for them one jot, but has led to disastrous results for us.

The present danger to Pakistan comes from the lawlessness and terrorism in the country and the government’s inability to effectively project authority and guarantee the safety of its citizens. Jihadist organisations with foreign funding appear to have joined hands with the Taliban and their sympathisers to wreak havoc in the country with their ultimate retrograde dream of creating a mediaeval society where a draconian interpretation of the Sharia is enforced, women kept as chattel and modernity and progress defeated.

Some of these groups are determined to attack and intimidate, if not eliminate, religious minorities. Then, we have the heavily armed militias affiliated with political parties. Finally, there are the criminal gangs involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping, carjacking, extortion, armed robbery and murder.

The idea that the army can somehow defend the country against this lawlessness is ludicrous. How can the armoured corps help fight sectarian car-bombings in Karachi? How will yet another squadron of F-16 aircraft defeat the drug smugglers in Lahore? How does the infantry do the detective work necessary to bring kidnappers and carjackers to justice? How can the army deal with the creators of mayhem that are thoroughly dispersed within our population, in every town and every city? It cannot. Yet the armed forces consume a hugely disproportionate share of Pakistan’s federal budget.

So, here is my suggestion: reduce the size of the Pakistan armed forces by a third, and use the money saved to dramatically increase the police budget. Currently defence spending is 20 per cent of the federal budget, while slightly over one per cent is spent on policing. This move will allow at least a six- to seven-fold increase in the police budget. Give our brave police the salary, equipment, training and manpower they need to bring law and order back to our cities and towns. They are the ones paying the highest price in terms of lives, and they are the only ones with a chance of controlling the proliferation of weapons and our epidemic of crime and terrorism.

Explain the decision candidly to our neighbours, refuse to be drawn into a no-first-strike nuclear policy and make a security pact with the United States to deter any hostile actions by India. It is in both those nations’ interest that Pakistan be stable and well-policed. This will also have the salutary effect of significantly reducing corruption in the country, and will result in an atmosphere of security and justice in which healthcare and education can be delivered effectively, and business can start dealing with the challenges of the 21st century economy.

Syed Abbas Raza, editor of 3QuarksDaily (3QD), wrote this piece for Dawn.

34 responses to “Shrink the Army, Expand the Police”

  1. Irfan Mirza says:

    Suggestion to shrink the army is OK! The army must be shrinked by 10% and civilians must be inducted on rotation basis for a period of 1 year to serve the army. It will be extremely beneficial. The college goers must serve the army and must get 2% extra marks and get free higher education in return.

    To expand the police is not acceptable. Police culture is the root cause of all the major problems in Pakistan. Police is creating anti Pakistan sentiments in the ordinary citizen by blocking justice to them and suppressing and insulting them on routine basis. Their usual behaviour is harsh and unfair to every single person who gets in contact with them.

    Can any body point me a single police officer who is an exception in the Punjab Police department. can some body send me a name of an SHO or junior officer who never takes bribe, who is upright in his dealings and cannot be influenced politically for an illegal favour. If such an office exists kindly send me his name and rank on xmirza at hotmail dot com.

    So by multiplying their numbers the crime rate will go higher. The police force must be squeezed by 50% and you will see the crime rate going down.

  2. Adil says:

    The author used the words

    “by imagining India as an enemy hell-bent on our destruction”

    We are not imagining things here. India has practically proved to be our enemy at every step in the past 62 years and particularly in last 5-6 years. Before the american invasion of Afghanistan there was never a hostility on our western border. After american invasion India heavily increased its presence in Afghanistan and it was after that we witnessed the start of suicide bombings, killings and terrorism. In the recent Swat operation, many proofs of Indian involvements were found and were shared with NATO commanders by Pak Army.

    And as far as the police is concerned, a major part of our police force is deployed on security of our VIP politicians. There is hardly any force left for protection of public. If you really want a solution to the law and order situation, then take away special protection from the politicians and give them the same security that a common man enjoys, then see the results.

  3. Riaz Haq says:

    Under Kerry-Lugar bill just passed, $1.5 billion is just the non-military aid, the total US aid to Pakistan for fiscal 2009 is over $3 billion. Here is how it breaks down, according to an OpEd in the News by Zardari’s adviser Frahnaz Ispahani:

    The total amount of the bill passed by US Senate for FY 2009 is $3021.0 million. $1147.5 million would be given under the head of Development and Reconstruction out of which $33.5 million will be given under the head of Child Survival and Health Programme whereas Economic Support Fund would receive $1,114.0 million while $11,02 million will be made available for the country in FY2010 with $27.9 million and $1,074.3 million on Child Survival and Health Programme and Economic Support Fund respectively.

    Pakistan will receive a total of $1103.1 million under the head of Security Assistance out of which foreign military financing would be $300.0 million this year whereas $700.0 million have been allocated for Pakistan Counter Insurgency Fund; $13.3 million would be spent on Non-Profit, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Issues. International Narcotics and Law Enforcement would receive a total of $87.5 million while $2.3 million would be spent under the Head of IMET. It is worth mentioning here that $298.0 million, $22.7 million, $155.2 million and $ 4.0 million respectively would be given to the country under the same head in FY2010.

    Pakistan will receive a total of $255.4 million under the head of humanitarian grant; further details are that Migration and Refugee Assistance will be given $69.6 million while Food for Progress will get $31.0 million, PL480 $36.3 million and International Disaster Assistance will be given $118.0 million in the FY 2009. Migration and Refugee Assistance will receive $20.0 million while no money has been reserved for Food for Progress, PL and International Disaster Assistance in the FY 2010. Total State Department operations will entail $2,506.0 million in this financial year whereas it would be $1602.0 million in the next financial year.

    The Department of Defense will receive a total of $515.6 million in which Counter- Narcotics will receive an amount of $63.3 million this year and $38.4 million in the next financial year while $25.0 million have been reserved for FATA Authority this year.

    Read more at http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/09/what-does-pakistani -democracy-deliver.html

  4. Aamir Ali says:

    @Misfit

    US aid to Pakistan started in 2003 in announcement by Bush at Camp David, and totalled $3.5 billion dollars. The rest of the money is Coalition Support Funds, money for services provided by Pakistan such as supply lines and military operations launched by Pakistani forces. It is not “aid”, but think-tanks and media folks need impact so they lump it together and portray the entire amount as “aid”.

    Now Pakistan is getting $1.5 billion per year….bundles of cash. Like I said, the EU, Saudis and Chinese also send cash/assistance. Hence there is no point in claiming that funds are scarce in Pakistan due to army gobbling up everything.

    Your accusations against Army corruption are also unsubstantiated. The Pakistan Armed Forces are far less corrupt than other institutions. However bad apples exist everywhere like that Mansoor-ul-Haq fellow. It is quite clear that your real motivation is against the Armed Forces, and not in favor of the police.

  5. Riaz Haq says:

    I think merely pumping more money, increasing salaries or enlarging the size of the police force will not help, particularly when the people in general do not see the police as their friends and protectors.

    What is really needed is to find a way to develop a more comprehensive strategy involving better moral, practical and professional training, supplemented by closer police-community partnerships that involve greater cooperation with and better oversight of the police by the local communities in cities, towns and villages.

    There should be police commissions consisting of respected citizens in each city to hold hearings, approve appointments, provide oversight and make policies for the police departments under local governments.

    Police also need to be made effective in terms of their data access, communication gear, mobility, investigative technology/capability, arms and professional conduct.

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