At gunpoint: Group of robbers empty out house in DHA

KARACHI:

It has been a testing week for Shabbir Ahmed, chairman of Pakistan Bedwear Exporters’ Association as his family became victims to the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi.

His son-in-law Rizwan Aziz was robbed inside his home on Monday night as he returned after attending a wedding with his family. Two days later, his nephew was robbed as well. Both incidents took place in Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

“My daughter and her husband are traumatised,” he said. “The way the robbers barged into their home suggests there is no one to stop these criminals.”

Around six men barged into Aziz’s home, located on Khayaban-e-Shujaat. Everyone, down to the kid, was held at gunpoint for about an hour as the robbers took everything, from jewellery to video games. An FIR was registered at the Darakshan Police Station.

“I pay taxes and I expect the government to at least provide security to my family,” said Ahmed. “Why should my family keep private security guards when we are paying the government and DHA to provide us security? It seems that all the police have been sent to Islamabad and crime here is getting out of control.”

Darakhshan SHO Asif Munawar said that a group of young men from the old Sabzi Mandi area are behind the cases in DHA and the police are waiting to complete investigations before they raid their hideouts. “We are not ignoring this case and the investigation police are trying their best to catch the robbers,” he said, adding that the investigation police have recovered some of the robbed items from a similar incident from Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2014.