Karachi violence: ‘Operation not targeted, but selective’

Over 300 suspects have been arrested since the targeted operation began on September 5.

KARACHI:

The targeted operation in Karachi began on September 5, and since then more than 300 suspects have been arrested. The Rangers are leading the operation which, they claim, is being conducted across the city – not just in the political strongholds of one party. Separately, the police have conducted 975 raids and arrested 1,232 criminals.

These numbers do not illustrate the efficacy or success of the targeted operation under way as the law-enforcement agencies have still not raided many of the ‘no-go’ areas, including Sohrab Goth and Manghopir. These areas are ungoverned territories where law-enforcers have no writ.

Most importantly, no major terrorist, kidnapper, extortionist or target killer has been arrested either. Curbing the ongoing violence and crime was supposed to be the focus of the targeted operation. The Supreme Court has also resumed hearing of the Karachi suo motu case. It had earlier ordered implementation of its October 2011 verdict to curb target killings. But a majority of the ‘namaloom afraad’ (unknown persons) behind extortion, target killing and kidnapping for ransom are still at large. From September 5-15, only 35 alleged target killers have been arrested, and 50 suspected extortionists have been taken into custody by the Rangers.



Catching criminals, not terrorists

There are two parallel ‘operations’ taking place in the violence-ridden metropolis. The Rangers are conducting raids and apprehending criminals affiliated with political parties along with the gangsters of Lyari, only a few of them being suspected target killers and extortionists. No one accused of sectarian violence and terrorism has been caught so far.

Meanwhile, the police are also raiding areas far and wide but they are mostly arresting suspects on charges of arms possession, narcotics and gambling. Of the 1,232 men apprehended by the police, only five were booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act, seven have been arrested for target killing, and seven others for extortion. But 224 suspects were taken into custody for illegal possession of arms, 228 for narcotics, and 31 robbers and 231 absconders were also booked.



“Suspects involved in the lower crime can also be arrested later as this is an incessant problem in Karachi and always will be. The focus of this operation – right now – ordered by the federal government was to curb target killing, terrorism and extortion. This is not taking place,” a DIG-ranked officer told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.

“Why is the operation not targeting extremists, militants and the mafia?” Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Wasay Jalil asked. “We want the operation to continue but it has to be an impartial and genuine one. We want it to stop targeting our party members.”

‘Politicised operation’?

Some of the men apprehended by the Rangers have political affiliations, but the paramilitary force leading the operation insists that the operation is not targeting one particular party.

“We are not targeting any party. The criminals are our target,” a senior Rangers official told The Express Tribune.



But the Muttahida Qaumi Movement begs to differ. “The operation is turning out to be like the one conducted in 1992 against the MQM. We want to emphasise that this is the year 2013, not 1992,” said the party’s Rabita Committee member Wasay Jalil.

The majority of the areas raided by the Rangers are the central and northern Karachi, predominantly MQM strongholds. Even though the operation has been conducted across the board, the raids are concentrated in these MQM-dominated areas.

However, members of other political parties have also been taken into custody. Awami National Party leader and former Sindh chapter president Senator Shahi Syed said that 60 of their activists were booked and released after interrogation.

“Law-enforcement agencies raided the house of one of our district presidents on Monday night. They arrested his son but we did not complain or protest. This operation is the need of the hour.”

Pakistan People’s Party, the ruling party in Sindh, also holds the same opinion. PPP leader Taj Haider said that the targeted operation against the terrorists has started without any political discrimination. “The terms of references were set by the federal cabinet with the consensus of all political parties in Karachi,” he explained. The operation is also being conducted in PPP-dominated areas but we have never ever expressed our reservations because we want to see criminals behind bars.” The PPP-nominated Sindh Chief Minister is the proclaimed ‘captain’ of the operation.

No one goes in the ‘no-go’ areas

There is no doubt that the operation is taking place but the law enforcers still have not ventured into the troubled and troubling ‘no-go’ areas. The areas in northwest Karachi – Kunwari Colony, Katti Pahari, Mianwali Colony, parts of Orangi Town –are hideouts and turfs of the banned terrorist and sectarian outfits, such as the Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. They have not been raided or searched. Some no-go areas such as Sohrab Goth and Manghopir have been raided but the operation was only cursory. “The Rangers just raided a few houses and did not even enter the areas where the wanted terrorists and extortionists reside,” said the local residents of Sohrab Goth.

However, the Rangers disagree. “There is no specific area where we are taking actions and no areas that we are ignoring. We are taking action against the criminal elements across the board.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2013.