Unexpected resistance: Lyari fight will take up to 3 days, says IG
The fight to clear Lyari of criminals will take about three days, announced the chief of police on Monday, acknowledging that the force had no idea how much resistance it would face.
On day four of the police operation, police morale was low despite the inspector general’s assessment that the troubled neighbourhood had been cleared about 60% of gangsters.
The silver lining was that crime has gone down in the rest of the city, IG Mushtaq Shah told the media at the Central Police Office in the evening. Around 20 criminals have been arrested and up to seven suspects killed. Some of the men were identified as having links to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). He did say, though, that some men have escaped and taken refuge in Malir.
During the day, it did not seem as if the situation was improving. Bullets were fired in all directions. There were rumours circulating on the streets of Lyari, especially among the policemen, that the Taliban, men from the BLA and sharpshooters were fighting for the gangsters.
The resistance has made the police so jittery that many men have fired their weapons by mistake. About half dozen such incidents have occurred. A DSP Abdul Razzak was reported to have been injured when his gun went off by mistake on Sunday.
Thus, the policemen on the road between Ghas Mandi and Cheel Chowk have been told to stay alert but with unloaded guns. “I don’t know how it went off,” said a confused policeman after he fired a shot by mistake. “Thank God no one was hit.”
Mobile phone services were suspended in Lyari. But gangsters used walkie-talkies. “Cutting off mobile phone communication just hits the police and media, it doesn’t do anything to the gangsters,” said an insider.
A Pakistan Peoples Party office in Kalakot was set on fire and a police post was torched in Garden. Two more people were killed and over 31 others, including two constables, were wounded. Four people were gunned down and four vehicles were set on fire in other parts of the city in Lyari-linked outbreaks. In Shershah, at least a dozen men on six motorcycles opened fire at Shaheen Hotel, killing three men and injuring one.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 1st, 2012.
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This operation is happening, not because of MQM's pressure, but because of Foreign Mission's reservations conveyed to the Government on April 24 about the inability to conduct business in Karachi. Just like Musharraf allowed Lal Masjid's situation to go through the roof before he took decisive action, PPP had let Karachi's situation slide to unmanageable levels. Now, with the elections on the horizon, and pressure from aid donors and allies, PPP had no alternative but to take action. Mobile phone snatching, murders, target killings, bhatta, kidnapping for ransom, all these things will recede in Karachi after this operation. But how long it will stay low will depend on continued vigilance of the police or lack thereof.
50% Police is on protocol/body guard duties of elites....poor job conditions,poor training, rampart corruption.......Result in front of us
PPP is cutting what it cultivated...
Have you ever seen the humiliation of officers by so called judiciary? Why should they be so proactive when there is no one willing to appreciate risk taking, specially when salary of an honest SSP is Rs 40000/ and same scale judge is earning Rs 400000 per month.
Where have our civic and security agencies been when those guys in Layari, Karachi and rest of Pakistan piling up latest weaponary ? Where has been our Home Department ? They were stoppoing citizens of this country on the roads and making stupid pinching teasing queries, frisking and checking the cars.
Wondering why doesn't a bus driver stop when traffic police signals him - how come our police men have lost their respect and authority ? Need to Introspect !!!
Our police is in uncharted terrirtory. They are more accustomed to abetting criminals, then tackling them. Call in the Army and route all all criminals, the one who are also helping the police as well.
Let us commend the role of the police. I pray for those who have lost their lives and for the safety and success who continue to combat the criminals. I do not understand the politics of Lyari and whether the police are partisan or not, but support them because any set back to the criminals whatever the motives is good for the city and the country.
how come BLA is involved when only few days back they were saying its PAC,Baba Ladla, Arshad Papu etc, it seems that police is politically motivated therefore they didn't call ragers yet.