Helmets barred at KU for protection of female students

Police find no trace of attacker in Karachi but find ray of hope in Sahiwal

KARACHI: In a surprising security move, the administration of University of Karachi (KU) has barred motorcyclists to wear helmet within the varsity's premises.

The decision was made following the series of incidents in which a knife-wielding motorcyclist has been attacking women on the streets of Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

The step has been taken as a 'precautionary move' to protect students inside the varsity. "Until the arrest of the serial attacker, we won't allow anyone to wear a helmet within the university," KU Security Adviser Dr Muhammad Zubair told The Express Tribune.



According to Dr Zubair, all the students and staff wearing helmets will now be asked by security guards to deposit them at the gates before entering the university. They will also be searched so that any knife-wielder among them can be caught.

"The ban on helmets will help female students move freely within the campus, as earlier they were afraid," the KU security adviser said, adding that the varsity does not want to take any risks as the serial attacker hides his identity by wearing a helmet.

 

Perpetrator at large

Despite multiple arrests, the police have been unable to trace the attacker who has so far wounded more than a dozen women in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Gulshan-e-Iqbal areas in the last 10 days.

Around a dozen young men were taken into custody on Friday by the District East police, which claimed to have multiplied their efforts in order to arrest the attacker.



The suspects were detained during snap-checking, patrolling and search operations in parts of Gulistan-e-Jauhar and its surrounding areas on Friday. However, none of them was found to be the wanted attacker.

After the operation on Friday, the number of detained suspects has increased to around two dozen. "We are taking the suspects in custody and those found innocent are being released," said a senior police officer. In some cases, the police also detained suspects carrying blades and knives.

The detained persons and their families have been condemning the police for arresting random persons to show their performance. "This practice should be stopped," said a cable operator who was detained and released by the police Thursday night. "They arrested me because I had a cutter? Yes, I had it because it is a part of my job," he said, adding that instead of arresting and harassing young men without any proof, the police should conduct operations based on intelligence reports.



Meanwhile, Sindh Inspector-General of Police Allah Dino Khawaja held a meeting at the Central Police Office on Friday to review the law and order situation, particularly the development in the case of knife attacks. The IG appointed East DIG Sultan Khawaja as the focal person regarding the issue. He also directed the concerned police officials to employ modern strategies to arrest the serial attacker and strengthen their coordination with the Rangers and other law enforcement agencies.

 

Case solved?

It was reported on Friday night that a special team of the Karachi police has been dispatched to Sahiwal in order to find clues about the knife attacks in Karachi.

Over 250 similar knife attack cases have occurred in Chichawatni in the past and Sahiwal has witnessed around 38 cases. According to the police, a serial attacker, Waseem, disappeared since he was released from jail after his arrest in 2015 for attacking women in Chichawatni and Sahiwal. It is being suspected that Waseem could be the elusive attacker who has been targeting women in Karachi. The police have also detained his brother in Sahiwal while further investigations are under way.



Talking to the media, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah disclosed that there has been a major development in the case as two suspects have been identified, one of whom is most likely the wanted attacker. One of the suspects belongs to Karachi, while the other belongs to Sahiwal, the CM said, adding that at present none of them are in custody.