HE extrajudicial killing of Nageebullah Mehsud has sparked a much-needed national debate about excesses committed by law-enforcement agencies under the guise of `encounters` There has been justified public rage over the trigger-happy ways of some within the security forces. However, to truly change the prevailing culture within law enforcement, this revulsion must be channelled into something more constructive an effort to positively transform the criminal justice system. In the aftermath of Nageebullah`s killing, other cases have emerged that point to the use of extrajudicial methods by the police to eliminate suspects.

As reported, following the arrest of the prime suspect in young Zainab`s rape and murder case in Kasur, serious doubt has been cast over the killing of Mudassar, a 22-year-old man, by police in a so-called encounter in the Punjab town last year. Mudassar was accused of assaulting and murdering a minor girl; however, it has been reported that investigations showed that it was, in fact, the DNA of the suspect in Zainab`s case that matched that found on the victim Mudassar was accused of assaulting. Mudassar was killed by police on the day the victim`s body was found. In a separate case, the family of a man, who was killed along with Nageebullah, has also demanded justice.

The thought that innocent men have been mowed down by police in `encounters` based on the flimsiest of evidence is devastating.

In order to prevent further such travesties of justice, two key steps need to be taken: firstly, those law enforcers involved in such heinous acts must face justice. Secondly, looking at matters in the long term, the criminal justice system needs to be revamped so that law enforcers do not resort to such crude, illegal methods.

From gathering evidence in a scientific fashion to ensuring the prosecution has built a solid case, all arms of the state must work in unison to ensure that the guilty are punished, and no innocent citizen is wrongly prosecuted, or worse, cruelly eliminated in a hail of bullets in an `encounter`.