WASHINGTON, July 14—Pakistan’s police force has historically been constrained by the military and intelligence agencies and often politicized as an instrument of repression against opposition groups. In a new paper, Frédéric Grare writes that reforming civilian security forces will diminish Islamabad’s dependence on the military and increase the legitimacy of the regime.

Recommendations for Pakistani policy makers

  • Remove military oversight of the police. The armed forces’ involvement in selecting police leaders will ultimately lead to the militarization of the police.
  • Guarantee police receiving U.S. assistance serve only as police. The United States and other donors need to be reassured that their money is being spent as intended. When officers are redirected to military operations or counterterrorism it diverts the time and resources needed to develop into a successful institution.
  • Utilize lessons from good models. The National Highways and Motorways Police is a branch that has not been politicized and has avoided the leadership and funding problems experienced by other agencies. This model should be emulated.

Recommendations for U.S. policy makers

  • Implement the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill. The civilian assistance legislation sponsored by Senators Kerry and Lugar and Congressman Berman provides a promising framework but is limited by competing objectives. Long-term goals of political and democratic reform are at odds with the short-term goal of gaining cooperation from the Pakistani army in the fight against terrorism.
  • Support the strengthening of police capabilities. Many officers resent their dependence on an army that tends to monopolize resources and impedes their room to maneuver. The United States should help provide the training and resources for them to operate independently.

“Police reform should not be allowed to serve as an alibi for the Pakistani intelligence agencies’ selective fight against terrorism,” writes Grare. “Only under these conditions will the Pakistani police become an effective instrument for fighting terrorism and a contributor to security and stability in Pakistan and beyond.”

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NOTES

  • Frédéric Grare is a nonresident senior associate in Carnegie’s South Asia Program. His research focuses on South Asia security issues and the search for a security architecture. He also works on the tension between stability and democratization in Pakistan, including civil-military relations, the challenge of sectarian conflict, and Islamic political mobilization. Grare has written extensively on security issues, Islamist movements, and sectarian conflict in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  • The Carnegie South Asia Program informs policy debates relating to the region’s security, economy, and political development. From the war in Afghanistan to Pakistan’s internal dynamics to U.S. engagement with India, the Program’s renowned team of experts offer in-depth analysis derived from their unique access to the people and places defining South Asia’s most critical challenges.