Back-to-back terrorism incidents leave question mark on LEA performance in Karachi

Intelligence and law enforcement agencies have so far failed to trace the perpetrators


Our Correspondent December 31, 2018

KARACHI: The Karachi Operation, jointly conducted by the Sindh Rangers and police since 2013, has considerably improved the law and order situation in the port city. A comparison of the year-on-year crime graph is testament to this. Time and again, law enforcement officials and political leaders have pointed to these trends to point out the decreasing crime in the city.

However, as 2018 ends, the rise in incidents of terrorism over the last month has raised concerns over the resurgence of violence in the city. During the past six weeks especially, the city has seen a series of violent terrorist attacks. The law enforcement agencies (LEA) have failed to arrest those responsible for these attacks. This leaves a question mark on their performance.

Police pin hopes on CCTV footage to nab Ali Raza Abidi's killers

Recent incidents
The six major attacks include the bomb blast in Quaidabad on the night of November 16, in which 11 people were injured and two innocent citizens lost their lives. Fortunately, a second bomb was diffused in time by the bomb disposal squad.

The second incident occurred a week later on November 23, in which, terrorists stormed in the Chinese Consulate and killed two police officials and two civilians. The police, in this case, were successful in gunning down three terrorists, however, the real culprits and their facilitators have not been identified as yet. Officials investigating the incident submitted a class 'A' report in the court on Friday which confirms that those responsible for the incident could still not be traced. The investigation officer did add, however, that one of the accused listed in the FIA, Aslam alias Achoo had allegedly been killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan. The IO could not, however, confirm the report.

Exactly after 10 days of the second incident, a bomb exploded in a car at Khayaban-e-Mujahid in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) which blew apart the vehicle. Another bomb was also planted there but due to technical issues, the blast did not occur. While the residents were spared of any loss of life, the incident reflected on the performance of the police who were not only unable to trace the culprits but also failed to determine how the stolen car loaded with explosives managed to make into a posh locality like DHA.

On December 8, another blast hit the city. The incident took place at a Mehfil-e-Milad organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Initially, it was thought to be a cracker explosion, but later it was confirmed to be caused by a bomb planted on a footpath. A total of eight people were injured as a result of blast.

On December 23, armed men attacked the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) office at Jahangir Abad killing two party workers and injuring two others. The suspects as usual managed to flee the scene with ease. While a case has been registered in this regard against Altaf Hussain, the founder of MQM, those responsible could not be apprehended.

Two days following the event, a senior politician was targeted in a firing incident in DHA. The former member of the National Assembly (MNA) from Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Syed Ali Raza Abidi, was gunned down. While claims are being made with regards to the investigation of the murder, neither the motive behind the killing not the identity of the attackers has been ascertained.
Considering the enormity of the incidents, people are questioning how the police, intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies will protect the common citizens.

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