Police raid sheesha café in Clifton

Young men, women arrested while manager and owner managed to flee

KARACHI: Despite the ban imposed by the government on sheesha cafés, the practice is in full swing in many cafés and restaurants in the metropolis. Police conducted a raid on one of such joints, 'Café London, in Clifton Block 9.

The search was conducted by Clifton police following information received about a café serving sheesha in the area.



The police apprehended over half-a-dozen young men, who were busy smoking sheesha at the café, while the owner and the manager managed to escape. The police also confiscated seven hookahs during the raid.

"This was the only café which is still operational in the area and the rest have already been sealed," explained Clifton police SHO Imtiaz Khan, adding that the raid was conducted on a tip-off.

The officer said that the owner and the manager were running the café in hiding, as the police have raided the same café multiple times and sealed it thrice. "We have sealed the same café three times in the past and even arrested the owner and the manager but they restarted the café in hiding after they were released from court," the officer said. He promised to arrest the two accused again and to continue the crackdown against such cafés.



The police have registered an FIR No. 27/16 for violating Section 144 of the CrPC. Those arrested were produced before a court on Friday, from where they were released by the court. Around four women were also present in the café during the raid, however, the police later released them and did not name them in the FIR.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2016.