Only in Karachi: Mayor's official vehicle snatched

SHO of Darakshan police station has been suspended after the incident

KARACHI: Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar’s car was snatched at gunpoint in Defence Housing Authority’s (DHA) Khayaban-e-Bukhari area on Saturday.

The mayor was not present in the vehicle at the time of the incident and it was being driven by his driver. The vehicle was a Black Toyota Corolla with a government licence plate.

After the incident, the South Zone DIG suspended the Darakshan police SHO and a First Information Report was registered. The SHO, was however, reinstated to his position on the intervention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Faisal Vawda.

The incident occurred on Saturday when the mayor’s driver, Mohsin Ali was driving the vehicle, bearing registration number GSD-999 in Shahbaz commercial area, within the remits of Darakshan police station.  Two suspects in a white Suzuki Cultus, emerged from their vehicle bearing arms and forced him to hand over the mayor’s car. Both wore surgical masks to hide their faces. The suspects, both middle-aged men, also snatched the driver’s mobile phone but threw it away at some distance. ‘

Subsequently, the driver called the Madadgar helpline at 15 to inform the police about incident, following which the Darakshan police officials reached the spot. After the incident, the police department sprung into action and was put on high alert all over the city. Police personnel put up blockades at various places but failed to recover the vehicle.

South Zone DIG Javed Alam Odho suspended SHO Haji Sanaullah immediately after the incident and demoted him for what his spokesperson claimed was failure to curb crime in his area. He added that the SHO was also running a shisha parlor along with an illegal guest house due to which he was suspended.



The orders were, however, reverted on the intervention of PTI’s Vawda who told The Express Tribune that three days’ time had been given to the officer to recover the vehicle and apprehend the suspects. Vawda added that VIP culture should be abolished in the city. “Does the SHO get suspended if a vehicle of an ordinary person is stolen?” he questioned, adding that a minor had been kidnapped around a month and a half ago from District West but no one was suspended in that matter. “But the SHO gets suspended if Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar’s vehicle gets stolen,” he remarked, before expressing gratitude to DIG Odho for taking back the orders. Meanwhile Anti-Car Lifting Cell SSP Munir Ahmed Sheikh said that his department was making every effort to recover the stolen vehicle, adding that during the current year, 18 government vehicles had been snatched by the same group.

According to sources, the group has proved to be quite the challenge to police investigators, who have used multiple strategies to nab the culprits, but none of them have worked thus far.

Police believe the same gang has snatched vehicles belonging to the principal secretary of Chief Minister House Sohail Rajput, District and Sessions Judge Faisal Arab, MNAs, MPAs and other government officials. A source added that according to the investigators, the group steals one or two vehicles per month, after which it goes into hiding. Investigations so far have found that group comprises four to six members, who commit these crimes after proper planning. The source added that government vehicles do not have trackers, which is why they cannot be traced immediately.