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Manufacturing poverty
January 1, 2022
Dear IG Police Sindh,
I apologise for writing to you second time this week. The last letter was out of a deep sense of regret at the inability of Sindh Police to check thousands of fraudulent cars with fake or police look-alike number plates. This act of omission by police itself promotes crime and lawlessness in the province.
I write to you today, out of a deep sense of pain that even after 74 years of independence, almost the entire Sindh Traffic police, standing at various intersections extracts cash from those who may or may not be violating traffic rules. This afternoon (2nd December 2021) at 13:10 hrs, as I was about to turn left from Kheaban e Mujahid to Kheaban e Hafiz (DHA), I was stopped by ASI Ashraf. He was polite and told me that I was not wearing the seat belt. His observation was perfectly correct, so I suggested that he should do his duty and fill the necessary challan. He asked for my driving license, which was shown to him. He again correctly observed that the Driving License had expired a few months back and needed renewal. He once again correctly pointed out that I had committed 2 offences, that of the seat belt and the expired driving license. I fully agreed and requested him to make a challan for both offences.
The real story begins now. He would not make the challan. He said if he made the challan, I would need to pay Rs.1200. I politely told him that as I had committed the two offences, I must receive my share of punishment and I will be happy if he made the Challan, so that I could deposit it in state exchequer. He was however reluctant to follow the law, and finally asked that I should give him some money and he would forget about the challan. I told him that giving any money would be incorrect for both of us and I would instead be happy to receive the challan. Finally he said, that this transaction is not bribe but just for “chaey pani”. On my insistence that the only option for him was to make a regular challan, he finally gave up the pursuit and allowed me to leave “unchallaned”.
There are three things I wish to bring to your kind notice. First that unless you live on a different planet, you must know that the small groups of 3 or 4 traffic constables at each intersection of the province, are blatantly, exclusively and whole -heatedly engaged in the singular act of collecting bribe and Bhatta. You must also know that this cannot be done on a large scale without the approval, protection and complicity of higher tiers of Sindh Police.
Second that as I have already committed two offences, and even as your Police refuses to make my challan, I owe it to the state to deposit the Challan amount. I would therefore be thankful to you for sending me a Challan for the two offences (seat belt and expired driving licenses), on this whats app, (or by post), so that I could deposit it in the National Bank.
The third thing that you must know is how to get rid of the 18th century (designed for corruption) Challan system and replace it by methods that insulate the citizens from “ASI Ashrafs” of Sindh Police . While the police has the right to check documents, it does not have the right to keep a CNIC or driving license as hostage till the challan is paid. If you have no idea how this can be accomplished I would be happy to provide voluntary services to help Sindh Police build a modern, efficient and corruption-free challan system.
Sincerely,
Naeem Sadiq
2nd December 2021