One-wheeling, aerial firing continue unabated in Lahore

Multiple incidents have occurred on the streets of Lahore

LAHORE: A group of bike riders reportedly left for one-wheeling in the early hours of Sunday, carrying firearms and resorting to aerial firing. As they reached Queen Marry Road, Garhi Shahu, they started fighting with each other over a minor issue.

A suspect, identified as Muraqam, allegedly opened firing during the fight. As a result, two victims, Osama Nazeer and Ahsan, sustained injuries. They were shifted to Lahore Services Hospital where doctors pronounced Osama dead while Ahsan was undergoing treatment. Police are currently investigating the matter.

This is one of many incidents involving one-wheeling and fire-arms on the streets of the provincial metropolis.

A few weeks ago, CCTV footage emerged in which a group of bikers resorted to firing in Mustafa Town. Last week, a group of one-wheelers along with local persons allegedly tortured Dolphin Squad officials at Band Road. One-wheeling and aerial firing incidents have become a serious issue as they pose a serious risk to residents’ safety.

However, the way police deals with the incidents is even more problematic. After the Band road incident, the police launched a crackdown against repeating offenders in the city. A few suspects were detained by Lytton Road police. The arrested one-wheelers were brutally tortured in police custody and CCTV footage of the police torture reportedly emerged.  A police official shared that they were tortured on the whims of senior police officers. However, former Lytton Road SHO Saif Ullah Niazi was suspended over the misconduct.

Lack of ‘healthy activities’

The trend of one wheeling and other dangerous and illegal sports have become popular among teenagers and young adults in Lahore in the absence of healthy activities. Playgrounds, cinemas and parks are no longer functional in the city of gardens. These spaces have either been occupied by plazas or by housing societies.

In light of these developments, only public roads are left for the youth to either play cricket or to go for one-wheeling. The authority concerned needs to find out the underlying reasons behind the rise of such incidents and should not treat it as just a law and order issue.

The Band Road incident was a hectic one for the commanders of Punjab police as well Lahore police. Both police teams remained busy conducting meetings for devising a security plan and assigning duties to ensure the security of Youm-e-Ali processions and the visit of the Chines vice president. The sensitivity of the events has dramatically increased in wake of recent events of terrorism.

Another police official seeking anonymity shared with The Express Tribune that other important tasks concerning the police such as crime fighting, public complaints, redressal and investigations become compromised during such events as security duties are amplified.



Helpline for missing victims

A few days ago, a well needed step was taken by the Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122). It launched the Punjab Emergency Helpline 1192 to reunite the families of lost emergency victims of accidents, emergency and disasters. In its initial stage, the helpline is a pilot project with three lines to be replicated soon.

Reuniting or spotting a victim of a road accident was dreadful for a family in a scenario where departments lacked coordination. The family whose member went missing due to any reason, assumed the missing person died in a road traffic crash. The family had to visit the police station, the morgue, different hospitals and Rescue 1122 in search of their loved ones. After the launch of the helpline, they will be able to do it while at home. If the helpline successfully overcomes departmental bottlenecks, it will prove a great public service.

Major incidents

In another incident last week, Dolphin Squad officials shot dead as woman during a police encounter.

A day later after this incident, the officials were spotted torturing a shopkeeper. Following another incident that occurred recently, a case was registered on court orders in Wahdat Colony police station against five police officials under charges of abduction of a citizen named Manzoor for ransom. The accused were already in jail over another case of abduction for ransom while deployed at Samanabad police station.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2019.