By: Musawir Qureshi
We have often heard an old story from our elders that, many years ago, there was a magistrate in Peshawar named Sarfraz. He was known as a very strict and honest officer.
Expensive-goods sellers, milk and meat vendors, and other traders in Peshawar were afraid of him. They knew that if they deceived people, adulterated food, charged excessive prices, or violated official price rates, Sarfraz would not spare them.
His greatest quality was that he did not accept bribes and never entertained recommendations or political influence. He made decisions according to the law.
There is also a famous story about Sarfraz. It is said that if he fined someone ten rupees and that person began pleading with him to forgive the fine, Sarfraz would increase the fine. If the person continued pleading or tried to use a recommendation, he would increase it even further. That is why people were even afraid to plead or seek recommendations before him.
His purpose was to maintain law and order, ensure that no one violated another person’s rights, provide justice to everyone, punish those who committed wrongdoing, and eliminate adulteration.
That was why, in those days, traders in Peshawar were careful to avoid exploitation, injustice, and overcharging.
After a very long time, Peshawar appears to have found another Sarfraz.
This time, that Sarfraz is not a magistrate but Peshawar’s CCPO, Dr. Mian Saeed.
This courageous police officer has won a place in the hearts of the people. He appears determined to stand firm like iron against wrongdoers and powerful elements, while peace-loving citizens are happy with his work and pray for his success.
In Peshawar and surrounding areas, he has taken action against several major criminals. Some influential people, land-grabbers, and criminal elements who had allegedly occupied the homes and properties of weak and helpless people have faced action, and in some cases possession was restored to the rightful owners. There have also been cases that had remained unresolved in courts for years, while Dr. Mian Saeed has attempted to address such issues within weeks.
He has also announced that the doors of his office are open to everyone. Anyone facing a problem can come forward and submit a complaint. Similarly, he has instructed all police stations to support victims and work to resolve their problems.
May Allah Almighty grant him health, courage, and a long life.
Peshawar is a city that has experienced extremely difficult times. Theft, robbery, and other crimes had increased, and people looked to the police for justice. When a poor or vulnerable person became a victim of a powerful individual, they would turn to the police for justice. But at times, due to political pressure or personal interests, the police were also accused of siding with the powerful rather than the victim. As a result, public trust in the police declined.
However, CCPO Dr. Mian Saeed has attempted to change this situation, and public confidence in the police appears to have improved. He has launched action against wrongdoing, and the process of accountability and consequences has become more visible.
This is why thieves, extortionists, smugglers, criminals, and lawbreakers are naturally uneasy about officers who take firm action against crime. People involved in criminal activities are unlikely to welcome such officers.
Peshawar and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have witnessed extremely difficult conditions over the past several years. Extortion, robbery, targeted killings, theft, and other crimes made people’s lives extremely difficult.
Since Dr. Mian Saeed took charge, police action against dangerous criminal elements has increased. According to police accounts, some suspects have been arrested, some have been killed in alleged police encounters, and some have fled their areas.
Recently, according to police, a dangerous suspect was being brought to Peshawar from abroad when police came under fire on the way. Police personnel were injured in the incident, and the suspect was killed.
Another extremely disturbing incident took place at the home of a poor family within the jurisdiction of Rehman Baba Police Station.
According to the information available, armed men entered the house at night, tied up the head of the family, sexually assaulted women, and took valuable belongings from the house.
Such incidents are deeply shameful for Pashtun society. Pashtuns are traditionally known for respecting even the women of their enemies, so what kind of people could commit such an act? Such criminals are a disgrace not only to society but to humanity itself. If such offenders are apprehended, they should receive the strictest punishment permitted by law so that such elements can be eliminated.
When news of the incident emerged, the people of Peshawar expressed deep anger and strongly condemned the perpetrators.
Tribute is due to Dr. Mian Saeed and his entire team for, according to the police, locating and arresting the suspects within a short period.
According to the police, after the suspects were arrested, they were being taken to the scene of the incident when their accomplices opened fire on the police. Police stated that, in the retaliatory firing, the arrested suspects were killed by bullets fired by their own accomplices. However, different claims and accounts regarding the incident have also emerged.
Some people argue that the suspects should have been presented before a court, while others consider the police action justified. The police, on the other hand, maintain that the suspects were not killed by the police but died as a result of firing by their own accomplices.
This matter should not simply be ignored.
The police must be firm, but their firmness must remain within the law.
If a suspect opens fire on the police and is killed in retaliatory firing, that is a legal matter that should be determined on the basis of evidence.
But if a person is deliberately killed without due process and outside the law, that is not justice either.
The powers granted to the police must also be exercised according to the law, and those powers must not be abused.
Because this is the fundamental difference between the police and a criminal: a criminal breaks the law, while the police are responsible for protecting it.
In the past, there were many dangerous individuals who remained outside the reach of the law for years. Sometimes the evidence was weak, sometimes investigations were inadequate, and at times suspects were even acquitted by the courts.
But the situation is changing. Criminal elements are no longer as fearless as they once were.
Another important point is that courts make their decisions according to the law and the evidence available before them.
If the police conduct a proper investigation from the very beginning, collect evidence correctly, and present the case before the court according to the facts, it becomes easier to secure the conviction of a guilty person.
In my view, officers like Dr. Mian Saeed—honest, courageous, and committed to using their authority responsibly—are needed not only in the police but throughout the entire system.
We believe that Dr. Mian Saeed should also be considered for leadership of the Anti-Corruption Establishment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The anti-corruption institution also needs someone strong, independent, and capable of working without fear or pressure.
Because if bribery and corruption continue inside government institutions, action against thieves and armed criminals alone cannot solve all our problems.
On one side, the police must take firm and lawful action against thieves, extortionists, and other criminals.
On the other side, anti-corruption authorities must also hold accountable those who operate networks of bribery and corruption inside government offices.
If both fronts are strengthened, ordinary citizens can receive genuine relief.
There is a beautiful saying in Pashto:
“چې مشر سم وي، کشران هم ورسره سمېږي.”
It means: “When the leader performs his duties properly, those working under him also improve.”
All institutions need officers who neither bow to political pressure nor give in to the influence of the powerful, and who never surrender before bribery.
At the same time, it is essential that the law, the Constitution, and human rights are respected.
We want a Peshawar where the police are friends of ordinary citizens, while thieves, robbers, and enemies of the public face the law.
We want a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where thieves, robbers, and extortionists are eliminated, but where no innocent person becomes a victim of police abuse.
The fight against crime must be tough, but it must remain within the boundaries of the law.
And the fight against corruption must be pursued with equal seriousness.
If the police stand firmly against crime, anti-corruption authorities hold corrupt officials accountable, and all institutions become subject to the law, the day is not far when an ordinary citizen will be able to say with confidence:
The law does not stand with the powerful; it stands with the truth. And the law is equal for everyone.
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