Only a few years ago, in March 2021, Shahzeb Khyal, a student in seventh grade, allegedly subjected to torture at a police station in Peshawar, took his own life while in custody. Despite juridical inquiry, not much changed. In another case at Kotwali Police Station in Peshawar, in 2018, a woman set herself on fire inside the premises after failing to obtain justice. She later died from her injuries.
Sharing his experience of police harassment, Mubeen, a resident of Bhana Mari in Peshawar, told The Express Tribune that he was stopped by police while returning home from work with a licensed pistol. “I showed my documents and licence. The pistol was kept inside the car and not displayed in any way. Despite this, I was detained at the police station, and an FIR was lodged against me,” he said, adding that the incident caused significant distress to him and his family.
Mohab Afridi, a taxi driver, recounted that a traffic officer in Jamrud slapped him for briefly stopping on the roadside. “When I asked what my fault was, I was told I had blocked the road, although there was no traffic where my car was parked. Just because of the uniform, the officer misused his authority. It was deeply upsetting,” he shared.
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Notwithstanding these cases, under Section 4 of the K-P Police Act 2017, police are legally bound to protect the life, liberty, and dignity of citizens. The Constitution further guarantees the inviolability of human dignity under Article 14. Yet, repeated incidents raise questions about the enforcement of the existing safeguards.
One of the main reasons for this gap is that there is no structured mechanism for the professional and ethical training of Muharrars, the officials responsible for recording complaints, across 34 police stations in the city, according to information obtained by The Express Tribune from Peshawar Police sources. These officials have direct interaction with the masses, yet receive no formal guidance in public dealings or conduct aligned with modern standards. As a result, videos showing abusive language, rude behaviour, and violence inside police stations frequently circulate on social media.
On top of this, police from tribal areas of the province have struggled to foster a change in the police station culture that remains without rules and regulations about dealings with the public. More than 30,000 police officers and soldiers from the tribal areas, in addition to the settled areas, were integrated into the provincial police, but these officers have not undergone training sessions in community engagement, according to sources.
Commenting on police culture, Dr Basharat Hussain, Chairman of the Criminology Department at the University of Peshawar, pointed out that the profession is inherently stressful. Daily interaction with criminals and civilians, heavy workloads, long duty hours, and financial pressures contribute to burnout among officers.
He suggested that refresher courses of at least three weeks be conducted every six months, or at a minimum every two years, focusing on public engagement, mental health counselling, and professional standards. “Such measures,” he said, “could meaningfully improve police conduct.”
Responding to faultlines in the police behavior, the Inspector General (IG) K-P Zulfiqar Hameed claimed that efforts are underway to equip the force with modern training and technology. “While addressing terrorism remains the most pressing challenge, improving public conduct is also among the top priorities,” he added.