THE scourge of phony encounters is amongst the major obstacles standing in the way of professional policing in Pakistan, and the delivery of genuine justice to the people. Police personnel indulge in this blatantly illegal activity to show how ‘active’ they are in controlling crime, and to secure rewards and adulation from their bosses. But far too often, innocent people are killed or injured in staged shoot-outs, while actual criminals are free to terrorise the public. One innocent life lost in a recent staged encounter was that of Shah Nawaz Kunbhar, a doctor from Umerkot, Sindh, who was killed in a bogus shoot-out on Sept 19. The victim was accused of committing blasphemy and in police custody when — as a report issued by the Sindh government confirmed on Thursday — he was killed in a “managed encounter” by Mirpurkhas police. As the inquiry report notes, those involved in the staged shoot-out were feted as heroes. This particular fake encounter has been confirmed by the authorities because of the hue and cry raised by civil society over Kunbhar’s murder. But the grim fact is that many such people are gunned down by law enforcers across Pakistan every year in similarly dubious circumstances.

According to HRCP, there were nearly 3,300 encounters reported in Sindh alone in 2023. The Sindh Police say 289 suspects were killed in these operations. Figures from other provinces are far lower, but this may be a case of possible underreporting. The fact is that LEAs resort to dodgy encounters because the law enforcement and criminal justice systems are failing. If prosecutors were building strong cases against suspects, and courts were punishing individuals based on solid evidence, there would be no ‘need’ for fake shoot-outs. Encounters are in fact a ‘shortcut’ law enforcers apply to cover up their own failures and lack of ability. But these dubious methods fly in the face of justice, and violate the fundamental rights of the victims. Police forces in all provinces must take a strong stand against the culture of encounters, and ensure that LEAs’ personnel operate by the book. Instead of being lionised, those personnel involved in staging encounters need to be penalised and prosecuted. Instead of making society safer, encounters encourage a culture of impunity and lawlessness, and do little to deter the actual criminals.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024