When it rains, the traffic police are nowhere to be found, and what we have instead are these gun-toting criminals.
KARACHI: Thanks to the ineptitude of the police, criminals in the city of Karachi have found yet another way to rob citizens. Now they are targeting motorists caught in traffic jams, especially after a heavy downpour. The modus operandi is generally that they go to a car and knock at its window with a pistol. They ask the person in the driver’s seat to lower the window and then ask them to hand over his cellphone and other valuables. If women happen to be in the car, they ask for their jewellery.
During the recent rains in Karachi, motorists have been robbed at many places, especially after sunset. The situation becomes even more dangerous for motorists when, as a result of rain, all streetlights go off. This is precisely what happened on September 6. After heavy rain, many motorists returning home got stuck in heavy traffic, and the criminals went about robbing people, especially Nursery, the Natha Khan Goth bridge and Lasbela crossing.
The criminals know very well that traffic jams occur when there is no traffic police. Every time it rains, the traffic police are nowhere to be found, and what we have instead are these gun-toting criminals. Those in cars are especially vulnerable because there is nowhere for them to go, as in they can’t drive away at all. The police are clearly failing because such gangs seem to be robbing motorists with increasing regularity and so some measures to pre-empt this should have taken place. One measure could be to deploy police personnel at spots where such incidents of robbing are known to take place. Other than that, people should try and avoid getting stuck in traffic jams after it rains, by selecting a route which is not so prone to flooding. Motorists can also ensure that no valuables such as a laptop, a briefcase, cellphones and so on are visible to those outside their vehicle. Women should remove any jewellery and hide it somewhere inside their car but not in their purse. If one gets stuck in a traffic jam, one should keep doors of one’s car locked and windows rolled up. If someone knocks at the car window, the immediate response should be to keep the window up and perhaps honk, because many criminals do not like commotion as it can attract others and get them caught. If this can’t be done, then a cellphone or wallet should be handed over without any resistance because one’s life is precious and should not be risked over such a thing.
Sqn-ldr (retd) S Ausaf Husain
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2011.
