Incompetent security

In an inexplicable display of security negligence, the prime suspect in the Itteqa Moeen robbery and murder case escaped from the city courts in Karachi. Zahir Ali was being transported to jail in an illegal arms case following the court hearing. However, the suspect cleverly hid behind the prison van instead of getting inside it. He pushed the court gatekeeper, a police constable, aside and ran towards the bustling Jodiya Bazaar, disappearing amid the crowd. Moeen, a mechanical engineer and gold medallist, was gunned down on June 1 in a robbery attempt in Gulshan-i-Iqbal. His gruesome murder came amid many others of young men in Karachi, highlighting the growing lawlessness in the city. Karachi’s residents yet again find themselves caught in the middle of a whirlpool of violent street crimes and incompetent law enforcement. It is especially crucial for security personnel to avoid such unbelievable carelessness during these times.

This incident not only underscores the severe lapses in our security and judicial systems but also raises urgent questions about the capability and accountability of those responsible for safeguarding citizens and delivering justice. It is exactly these kinds of lapses that compel citizens to take the law into their own hands, paving the way for mob lynchings and other dangerous kinds of vigilantism. This is not the first time that a suspect has escaped from court premises. Why haven’t security protocols been enhanced still? What does it take for concerned security personnel to just recount the number of prisoners inside the van before setting off to the prison? What more will it take for law enforcement agencies to enhance the training of officers handling suspects? The authorities must urgently address these security failures to restore public confidence and ensure that such a travesty does not occur again.