Dangerous combination of guards and guns at teashops

A firing incident left one man injured over a parking argument outside Chai Shai

KARACHI: While warm cups of tea and scrumptious parathas continue to pour in at teashops located at Chota Bukhari in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), the presence of guards and guns within the vicinity of these eateries has created fear and uncertainty.

On May 3, a firing incident left a 27-year-old man, Syed Mansoor Ahmed, injured. The firing took place after a heated argument ensued over a parking dispute between two parties amid two teashops, Chai Shai and Chai Wala.



The shooting

Ahmed, who belongs to a family based in Balochistan, recalled he was visiting Chai Shai with his friends when a private guard came up to him and asked him to remove his car. Ahmed claimed that he excused the guard after telling him that two cars were already parked behind him. Later, this little exchange led to a heated argument, with abusive words hurled at one another. It was then that suddenly, a man, named Raheem Lango, shot him in the leg, he said.



Despite belonging to a 'sound background' in Quetta with his family members holding 'top positions in the government', Ahmed lamented how even his family held him responsible instead of helping him trace Lango, who shot him.

Ahmed told The Express Tribune that he knew that Lango is the only child of his parents and he will not seek revenge. "But I want to at least teach him a lesson so that he does not do this to anyone again," he said. If the people who travel with guards are so afraid then they should stop visiting public places, he said, wondering what they are trying to prove by having a small private militia of guards.

Zero tolerance

Darakhshan SHO Amjad Anwar told The Express Tribune that they are looking for the accused who shot Ahmed. Anwar claimed that the police will not tolerate such incidents any more in the locality and people misusing weapons will be apprehended at any cost.



Too strong for security

The owner of Chai Shai, Muhammad Arsalan, said that incidents like these have never happened in the past. It has nothing to do with any of the hotels there and it only occurred as 'some individuals lost their tempers', he said.

Arsalan admitted that the private guards deployed by the eateries are of no use as these people [who engage in quarrels] are very strong and normal security cannot deal with them. Usually police and Rangers vans patrol the area but they were not there at the time of the unfortunate incident, he said.

Nowhere safe

Ahmar Saeed, a customer who was enjoying tea with his family at the hotel, told The Express Tribune that the reason why he is visiting the teashop is because these things can happen anywhere in a city like Karachi and 'we cannot sit at home after being scared'. However, he added that this private guards culture is condemnable. Saeed added this culture affects young children and should be discouraged by law enforcers.

"We are scared of these people as it is always uncertain what they will do over an argument," Warisha, who was sitting at Chai Wala, told The Express Tribune.

VIP culture

Naeem Sadiq, a member of Citizens Against Weapons, said VIP culture is pervasive across Pakistan and not limited to certain posh localities. Sadiq explained that having private guards is part of VIP-ism and also a part of the 'fear syndrome'. Laws must be equal for all citizens and no special provisions should be made for any particular class or group, he said, demanding that all weapons be taken back from all citizens, regardless of their rank or status.



Jamil Yousuf, the former chief of Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, stressed that people who move about with guards must have a sense of responsibility. He explained that in such cases, parents are supposed to give guidelines to the guards who protect their children, instead of giving a free hand to a young boy to misuse these facilities.

Learning from the past

Zeeshan Lashari, the brother of slain Salman Lashari, who was killed in the summer of 2014 by the firing of his classmate's guard, told The Express Tribune that he condemns such misuse of authority, adding that the reason the Lashari family is still fighting for justice is to set an example for misuse of authority. He demanded that the government impose a penalty on misuse of power. "This will create a sense of responsibility of powers among the powerful," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2016.