Bribe and Cop, two pals

Just the other night I was stopped by a cop nearby Abdullah College (Karachi) and asked my driving license although cops have no authority to ask these stuffs. They are there to just snap checking or papers, that's it!
Unexpectedly I was stopped and soon after that cop asked my driving license! I was astonished instead of being checked and was asked my papers, my license was asked. So surprising! This was just like that police man was trying to trap me. 

Being a responsible  Pakistani it was my moral obligation to respond him politely and humbly as he was our soldier. I replied him I did not have license but I did have other legal papers and CNIC. He smiled and said In this case I had to be challaned of Rs.125.

I was about to say something in clearance but stopped by him straightaway. He paved the paths before me saying, 

"You have two options:get challaned or pay some rupees to us separately and go." 

As anticipated! Therefore I was not surprised but I could not tolerate my laughter.

He was in damn need asking pennies as the needy people-victims of drought. But soon he realized I would not give him a single penny. I replied him, 

"It is not fair to pay or take bribe and it is a great dilemma of our society."

He lashed out it was not their work but they had to do because of survival under their vulturous superintendents and  bosses and under the umbrella of this corrupt system. He added,  

"There is a little difference between beggars and us; they request for money and if people do not respond them, so they leave quietly. And we demand  for money (bribe) using our power and uniform, and if one does not pay so he has to suffer terribly."

While talking to me he proved to be a very frank  pal of mine. He said with great misery that there was a huge difference between Punjab police and Sindh police's salaries, there a cop was paid Rs.35000 monthly salary unlike Rs.24000 in Karachi and Sindh. He said with embarrassment it was not their  work to beg 30 or 40 rupees to the bikers and auto-walas but they had to do it because of their bosses and fulfilling their requirements . But one thing is transparently clear that a laborer who earns Rs. 15000 monthly also lives his life without begging so how he could not! 

He tried to justify their this dishonest deed saying, 

"There are two advantages for you to paying bribe: one you just have to pay a little amount which is 20% or 30% of the actual challan charges and the second is you do not have to waste your time having been challaned. You just pay some pennies and get rid of both of these troubles."

Moreover he added that they were not given maintenance of their vehicles nor  were they compensated  fuel or patrolling costs. That is why they had to stand in the main squares or roundabouts to beg money for their expenditures.

He again mentioned that they stood for especially the bikers and auto-walas and do begging. It was awfully shameful for me when a soldier uttered the word "begging" for their asking money as bribe. How embarrassing that moment was. Is it not a big question mark upon the modesty of so-called higher authorities?

He knew that he was wrong and whereupon he confessed it too but he seemed to be bound by his boss and the bribe culture or maybe he became addicted of bribe. Because lust of bribe was obvious there.

I just replied him smiling, 

"This is not good nor justifiable at all. How will we root out corruption from our country if our police department which has the power and authority to implement the law, is briber?"

He tried to defend himself and expressed his compulsions that this bribe system and corruption can be eradicated only if the process starts from superintendents and higher posts. He said,

"We are just soldiers and juniors; we have to do as Romans do by hook or by crook."

But for the answer of this question, " Can bribe be defended or justified anyhow? he was speechless so was I on the answer of this question, "Can eradication of bribe system be begun from higher posts?. 

It was almost 15 to 20 minutes gossip so finally he said adieu but I felt like embracing  him on his all confessions with big heart. And at last I accelerated my bike watching out the same soldier stopping another biker. I just thought how he restarted making money again. Was his gossip with me only saying? It seemed to me the bribe and cop are pals that cannot leave each other! I kept thinking...