To add to the Sindh Government’s losses, the operation is proving to be a financial burden too, with daily costs running into hundreds of thousands of rupees.
According to estimates, bullets worth Rs 5 million have been used, so far. For the operation, around 2,000 personnel have been deployed around Lee Market, Cheel Chowk and other surrounding areas. In order to keep the personnel fed, the per meal menu includes biryani with juice, qorma and roti with juice, or aloo gosht and roti with juice, at an approximate daily cost of Rs0.4 million.
The Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) have taken a beating as well, with one being completely destroyed. The repair costs of three APCs along with the delivery of an additional APC (tank design) from Hyderbad has cost the provincial exchequer Rs2 million so far. The repair cost included replacement of bulletproof windows and tyres.
Due to the lengthy ongoing operation, a makeshift workshop for weapons has also been established by the police.
COMMENTS (29)
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Please Spend I Billion $ to get rid of all the thugs, criminal gangs and terrorist once and for all. Peace is very vital for Karachi and money comes next.
Every other news report has mentioned that rockets were fired on the police and ppl don't want to believe it. Nothing would be resolved until we open our eyes and ears. So fine, rocketss wire not fired but does it make news less important if grenades were used against police.
Who cares what it costs and what the officers who are risking lives to clean up lyari eats?
I will request ET Editor to visit the area without Police ...Poor sepoys have families too
As long they get rid of all the criminals.
@Zill e Hasan Hashmi: Is there one single video or photo of the so-called "rocket launchers" being fired at the police? Don't instigate a civil war when there isn't one.
Who is keeping track of what it costs the taxpayer to keep the whole national assembly and provincial assemblies (and assorted hangers on) fed , clothed and provided transport? including bullet proof vehicles with tires worth 16 lakhs? and their trips and other assorted perks. Since we get nothing of any worth from that whole lot , id agree to the karachi police eating gold if it meant that they could maintain law and order here.
I know of richer, prettier people (AND their families) doing far less and fed much more on my taxes.No free air-conditioning / fuel for the babus for 3 months. That would re-appropriate the funds enough. You people have no idea how much. No idea.
ET's reporting style resembles Times of India reporting style.
2000 police are not able to get control of ONE area of Karachi ater 5 days of fighting. This is not a criticism of the police. I am sure they are brave and doing their very best. But it does beg the question does any government have write over Karachi - let alone FATA?
I come from a city that is India's Karachi i.e. Mumbai and my heart beaks for the compatriots in this port city which is the engine of its country's economy. I hope this operation is taken to its conclusive end and Karachi is de-weaponized.
Hopefully also, the Pak government can realize that distinguishing between good and bad extremists from a policy perspective has its limits. After all, wasn't the Amn committee once encouraged by PPP's own provincial home minister? If Pakistan government and establishment stop supporting 'good terrorist' not just Karachi but its problems with US and India will also be resolved.
anyway RIP, the brave police of Karachi.
Well, any organized and determined struggle to weed out criminals and terrorists will cost money, however it's a good investment and we have to learn to accept the fact that it's better now and it's more cost effective at this stage than wait and let this cancer grow. Remember the cost of our inaction and attempt at appeasement in Swat, remember the ultimate cost of taking a belated action. I'd say that it is all worth it, erridicate it once and for ever and let this be a message for the others who might entertain the idea of getting away with terrorism.
Come on dude show the cops some mad respect !!
Let us respect what the police is doing. We cannot even remotely appear to not side with maintaining law and order. And about your report's choice of the word 'devour' the less said the better. Let us pray for those that have lost their lives, especially our police and for their success and safety.
Devour - ET have you lost it? This is a very insensitive and cheap piece of writing on your part. Are you implying that our policemen, who are in the line of fire, are beasts? I am disappointed at the level of editor-control for this paper.
I think you forgot to mention that these people also put their lives on the line everyday to save ours which are both priceless. It is better than millions that are spent everyday on the parliamentary proceedings and lunches ... let's see you reveal how much 'democracy' is costing us perhaps?
Cost or no cost.
The Police operation should continue till the last gangster is killed.
This is necessary for the safe release of Karachiites who have become hostages of Lyari gangsters.
If we go into further details, the editorial board of ET will come to know that since ever the Lyari operation has begun, the crime rate in Karachi has decreased many folds.
In fact the entire Karachi was made hostage by the groups of few gangsters of Lyari. These gangsters never thought before that Police can also turned their guns towards them.
Its good to see our public backing the Police for once. I think all the taxpayers are happy that our money is being spent the way it should be: Fighting crime to make our city safe. We are better off spending this money on this operation, than having to pay 5 million as ransom and extortion to these criminals. Also our cops are risking their lives for salaries as low as PKR 7000. I don't mind if some of our taxes are being used for their lunch.
Don't hear media complaining when 0.5 million is spent by Members of the Parliament on their dinners. The MPs aren't throwing their hard earned money. They too are spending the taxpayers' money. Happier to see the money feeding our cops, our guardians rather than our Ministers' friends and family.
Very proud of Sindh Police. May you succeed in this mission soon
What happened to supporting our brave jawans? What happened to sparing no expense to provide meet their needs? Oppps sorry wrong jawans!!
"Devour" - very insensitive wording used for an operation which is not easy. It's being done for something good, irresponsible reporting.
The champions of Human rights must answer , who is firing rockets on police ? innocnt civilians . who is firing continous volleys of bullets ? kids , women or unarmed people? let this mess be cleaned up this time . It should not only be layari , anywhere the writ of govt is challanged and innocent citizen are being hostage to these barbarians police and scurity forces must react squarely . They cant throw garlands on terrorist who are firing rockets and machine gun fire. The jury will set these miscreants free after Police will grab them , after sacrificing so many lives . What a tragedy , are such type of recording dos'nt provide sufficient reason and evidence to beleive that who ever killed or apprehended by police is a terrorist.
Expenses of people fighting to clear Layari of gangsters are calculated and presented to show the high cost of the operation and give a justification to stop it. I would rather recommend that the scale of the operation is widened and the city is completely freed from gangs.
On the other hand, these policemen are going to sit outside houses of politicians doing nothing! It is better that they are serving public instead of thieves and thugs.
The spending on this operation is worth pennies compare to the cost and pains of disturbance these criminal costs to Karachi.
Its better to spend 5 Million on operation then to see Karachi closed every day. Media should play positive role when we are fighting the terrorists.
Lets not worry about cost. And let us feed our police the best. They are sacrificing a lot. If ET really wants to worry about cost, it should focus on the per day cost of an army officer.
So ET wants no operation in layari against these criminals and thugs because of the huge cost