The case of the paramilitary force — the Rangers — is not much different from that of the police.
JUBAIL, SAUDI ARABIA: After countless meetings, press conferences, table talks and negotiations in the last few weeks on the Karachi situation, are we back to square one? We have watched these meetings-cum-drama so many times in the last few years that no one has much hope of any change. The same police and Rangers, who are in fact, part of the problem, have once again been asked to correct something they are neither capable of doing nor really interested in correcting.
It is on record that hundreds of workers of political parties and other people of dubious backgrounds have been inducted into Karachi’s police force over the years. These black sheep, in effect, work as a covering force for criminals, extortionists, hired killers and kidnappers and come into play only when a criminal gang deviates from the agreed share or goes for a deal with some other more powerful force. Therefore, anyone who expects a 180-degree turnaround in police mentality and attitude is living in a fool’s world.
The case of the paramilitary force — the Rangers — is not much different from that of the police. They have been in the city for almost two decades and how their presence benefitted the city is unclear, to me at least. What’s not happening in Karachi today: land grabbing, extortion, targeted killings, kidnappings, street crimes, looting of buses, drugs and arms smuggling, spreading of hate material, uncontrolled influx of illegal immigrants, all of this under the nose of the very force which is in Karachi at the cost of taxpayers.
Karachi’s dynamics have changed in the last few decades, with most of its suburbs now being no-go areas for the law-enforcement agencies. Some now have a noticeable presence of extremists and pro-Taliban elements, which indulge in criminal activities to raise funds for their counterparts fighting the state in Fata. I see no change in the situation unless the police are purged of criminal elements and are led by those who have a stake in Karachi having a peaceful future. The intelligence agencies also need to do their work and track down criminals, and as for the Rangers, they should be used as a reserve force only to strengthen police action if need be.
There should be complete elimination of armed gangs, which look towards political and religious parties for protection, and activities of religious/sectarian outfits need to be dealt with an iron hand. Most importantly, administrative control of the city should be handed over to its residents by holding local body elections. There is no point in repeating that failure is not an option. A Karachi operation is bound to fail if the root causes of unrest and lawlessness are not dealt with.
Masood Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2013.
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