Militarization of police and the Gangwar in Karachi - Dr. Zoha Waseem - Insecure Guardians- #TPE 235

Dr Zoha Waseem is an Assistant Professor in Criminology at the Department of Sociology, University of Warwick and the author of, "Insecure Guardians:: Enforcement, Encounters, and Everyday Policing in Postcolonial Karachi." Dr. Zoha Waseem comes on the podcast to discuss Sindh Police, the militarization of Police, Rangers, the police operations of the 90s, the gang wars in Karachi, Lyari, corruption in the police, Rao Anwar, Encounter killings, institutional biases, community policing and colonialism. Is the colonialism to blame for the police structure? Why is the police so corrupt? How common are encounter killings? Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience. Title: Insecure Guardians: Enforcement, Encounters, and Everyday Policing in Postcolonial Karachi. Book Abstract The police force is one of the most distrusted institutions in Pakistan, notorious for its corruption and brutality. In both colonial and postcolonial contexts, directives to confront security threats have empowered law enforcement agents, while the lack of adequate reform has upheld institutional weaknesses. This exploration of policing in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and financial capital, reveals many colonial continuities. Both civilian and military regimes continue to ensure the suppression of the policed via this institution, itself established to militarily subjugate and exploit in the interests of the ruling class. However, contemporary policing practice is not a simple product of its colonial heritage: it has also evolved to confront new challenges and socio-political realities. Based on extensive fieldwork and around 200 interviews, this ethnographic study reveals a distinctly ‘postcolonial condition of policing’. Mutually reinforcing phenomena of militarisation and informality have been exacerbated by an insecure state that routinely conflates combatting crime, maintaining public order, and ensuring national security. This is evident not only in spectacular displays of violence and malpractice, but also in police officers’ routine work. Caught in the middle of the country’s armed conflicts, their encounters with both state and society are a story of insecurity and uncertainty. The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon:   / thepakistanexperience   To support the channel: Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912 Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch:   / thepakistanexp1     / thepakistanexperience     / thepakistanexpeperience   The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89 Author Bio Dr Zoha Waseem is an Assistant Professor in Criminology at the Department of Sociology, University of Warwick. She is also co-coordinator for the Urban Violence Research Network. Her book, Insecure Guardians: Enforcement, Encounters, and Everyday Policing in Postcolonial Karachi (Hurst/OUP, 2022) explored how securitisation policies tailored towards the interests of insecure states influence the culture of everyday policing in postcolonial contexts. She is broadly interested in the politics of policing and insecurity, informality in policework, pluralised provision of security, migration, and militarisation. Chapters: 0:00 Zoha's background, research, police image and corruption 9:36 Rangers perception and pre colonial policing 12:41 Post colonial policing, police militarisation 21:47 Police: politics and the state, VIPs, hierarchy of institutions 29:45 Police interactions, status, compensation, and depowerment 40:10 Police and politics, 90s operations, encounter killings 51:17 Rao Anwar, Naqeebullah case 57:20 CIA, officers' perspective 1:07:21 Police incentives and salary, chain of corruption, nuance of procedure 1:21:49 Institutional biases - class and ethnicity 1:35:55 Community policing, officer health 1:41:43 Audience Questions