Private armies and ‘militias’ are explicitly prohibited by Article 256 of the Constitution of Pakistan
KARACHI: Private armies and ‘militias’ are explicitly prohibited by Article 256 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Ironically, the ruling elite and the police have never believed in this law. There is hardly a street in the posh areas of Karachi where one cannot see private ‘militias’ and armies living in tents, cabins and containers outside the residences of arrogant, mindless and pampered Pakistanis. These illegal ‘militias’ encroach upon public spaces, occupy portions of public roads and terrorise neighbourhoods. The local police and housing authorities conveniently look the other way.
On November 24, the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed a particular affluent housing society to take across-the-board action against tents set up by security guards outside the residences of high-profile people residing in the housing society. It is now for the housing society to ensure that the orders of the Supreme Court are firmly implemented and all tents and other structures outside the residences of lawless residents are immediately removed.
An equally important aspect of this criminality is the complicity of the Sindh Police to have allowed these private armies to exist, grow and illegally occupy public spaces. The Sindh Police, which has the policing responsibility for the housing area in question, should have rounded up all such private militias itself but it did not. It ought to be a matter of concern and shame that the Supreme Court of a country has to deal with matters as small as the removal of thugs and tents.
The housing society administration and the Sindh Police are requested to ruthlessly implement the orders of the Supreme Court. Those who cannot exist without the presence of private militias and tents outside their homes may be offered accommodation in high security precincts such as the central prison at Karachi. Why must ordinary citizens be subjected to living in war-like zones in the company of thug-like neighbours and their private armies?
Naeem Sadiq
Published in The Express Tribune, November 29th, 2016.
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