Pakistan: Everyone’s on the Same Page

LIZA HERNANDEZ WRITES – Mohammed Waseem Ahmed was recently ousted from the Karachi police force after a Supreme Court hearing concerning his alleged illicit activities as the man in charge of hundreds of illegal gambling dens in Karachi.

Though Ahmed, according to government records, has flown the coop to Dubai, the increased willingness to uncover corrupt government officers must be met with applause.

In an article in the respected newspaper The Dawn, Hassan Abbas, an expert on the Pakistani police at the New York based Asia Society, states that “Ahmed’s case provides a stark illustration of the level of corruption in the Karachi police force.” The fact that this case reached the media is a big leap forward, and with the pending criminal cases of 400 Karachi police officers, it’s a very welcome step.

In terms of media coverage, Dawn, The News, and the Huffington Post have all posted Sebastian Abbot’s and Adil Jawad’s article concerning Mohammed Waseem Ahmed’s illicit activities as their coverage of the event. It is very encouraging that multiple media outlets are on the same page concerning the message they wish to send their readers: This level of corruption from government officials, who have a duty to protect and serve the public, is unacceptable and will be considered as a betrayal of their official post. However, all Pakistanis accused of crimes deserve a fair trial. The media should not assume the guilt of paticular individuals, even if the totality of the police corruption problem is blatantly evident.

Go To:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/mohammed-waseem-ahmed-pakistan-cop_n_2985562.html?utm_hp_ref=world

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-168626-In-Karachis-underworld-a-cop-is-said-to-be-a-king

http://dawn.com/2013/03/31/in-pakistan-underworld-a-cop-is-said-to-be-a-king/

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