Interior minister admits spike in Karachi crime

Nisar claims situation still better than pre-operation days

ISLAMABAD: After months of denial, the security czar has finally acknowledged a spike in street crime in Karachi after back-to-back high-profile cases in the financial hub of the country.

At the same time, however, he claimed a significant decline in terrorism, extortion, targeted killings and kidnapping cases since the launch of the Karachi operation in September 2013.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan admitted there had been a ‘massive’ increase during the past 18 months in crime in Karachi while talking to reporters at an Iftar dinner on Thursday.

The minister’s admission comes in the backdrop of a decision taken earlier this week to boost the manpower and capabilities of Sindh police, especially in the provincial capital.

Nisar said capacity-building of police personnel was urgently needed, for which authorities had been asked to involve Pakistan Army for recruitments. He said 20,000 police personnel would be hired -- apart from the induction of some 2,000 retired soldiers into the police force.

He claimed there weren’t many army personnel from Sindh, and they could be given a chance to join the police force after being relieved from the army.



Although, Nisar said, the paramilitary Rangers were deployed in Karachi, the police should play a proactive role to control the law and order situation of the metropolis.

About the upcoming expiry date of the Protection of Pakistan Act, which gave sweeping powers to Rangers in Sindh to detain suspects without any charge for 90 days, the minister said the government was consulting with different political parties to extend the powers.

Dispelling the impression he has been pulling the strings of the Karachi operation, he said the Sindh chief minister was “undoubtedly” the captain of the ongoing crackdown with the federal government and other institutions only playing a supportive role.

Nisar said the National Counter Terrorism Authority required about Rs450 million to develop a software for establishing a Federal Crime Record Database.

He also said a national policy was needed for Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. A meeting would be held after the return of the prime minister where all chief ministers would participate.

“Pakistan has been carrying the burden of Afghan refugees for the past many years. These refugees should be living in camps but they are rarely seen there,” he said.

Nisar claimed the international community had stopped assisting Pakistan in accommodating refugees for the past many years.

Talking about politicking over the Panama leaks, the interior minister said even those parties were raising their voices whose leaders had broken records of corruption.

He said Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had been requested to plead the case whereas his relatives own foreign properties worth billions of rupees.

Nisar also told journalists that the Iranian government had provided the record of the movement of slain Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansoor inside its territory prior to the Naushki drone attack. Iran has also shared the details of Kulbhushan Yadav, he added.  Yadav was arrested from Balochistan and had admitted to be working for Indian spy agency RAW.

Replying to a query about the recent interview of Narendra Modi, Nisar said one must not take every statement of the Indian prime minister seriously.

He also refused to comment on the controversial interview of Mehmood Khan Achakzai, in which he had reportedly said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was a part of Afghanistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2016.