We have a lower homicide rate than Mumbai, Mexico: home secretary
Home Secretary Waseem Ahmed said that Lahore and Karachi had an equal average rate of 8.5 killings, lower than Bombay.
KARACHI:
How many people have been killed in Karachi since the Supreme Court took up its suo motu hearings last October?
3,803. The answer, according to police chief Fayyaz Leghari, was: 1,924 people in 2011 and 1,879 so far this year. In response, the Advocate General claimed that it was a sectarian and ethnic issue and there were comparatively fewer killings. He felt that the stakeholders should settle matters. The court disagreed with the claim and noted that the tense situation had affected the psyche of the general public to this extent that, “If a newspaper reports that three people are killed on one day, people offer thanks that the number is low.”
Home Secretary Waseem Ahmed said that Lahore and Karachi had an equal average rate of 8.5 killings, which was lower than big cities of the world such as Bombay, New Delhi, Bangkok and Mexico.
Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany said Lahore had no ethnic or religious issues.
“[You’re making it out to be like] a 20/20 match,” remarked Justice Khilji Arif Hussain. “[The way you] are counting human lives in this way.” City police chief Mehmood Iqbal pitched in to say that most of the murders that took place in Karachi on Tuesday were motivated by personal enmities, while the motive behind two murder cases - an Ahmadi and a doctor - had yet to be determined. The court observed that a turf war was being played out in Karachi, where the land mafia and many other mafias were active. Surprisingly, it said, policemen who wanted to take action were not supported by the force itself. Justice Hani said half of the problems could be addressed if the police force was fixed.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2012.
How many people have been killed in Karachi since the Supreme Court took up its suo motu hearings last October?
3,803. The answer, according to police chief Fayyaz Leghari, was: 1,924 people in 2011 and 1,879 so far this year. In response, the Advocate General claimed that it was a sectarian and ethnic issue and there were comparatively fewer killings. He felt that the stakeholders should settle matters. The court disagreed with the claim and noted that the tense situation had affected the psyche of the general public to this extent that, “If a newspaper reports that three people are killed on one day, people offer thanks that the number is low.”
Home Secretary Waseem Ahmed said that Lahore and Karachi had an equal average rate of 8.5 killings, which was lower than big cities of the world such as Bombay, New Delhi, Bangkok and Mexico.
Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany said Lahore had no ethnic or religious issues.
“[You’re making it out to be like] a 20/20 match,” remarked Justice Khilji Arif Hussain. “[The way you] are counting human lives in this way.” City police chief Mehmood Iqbal pitched in to say that most of the murders that took place in Karachi on Tuesday were motivated by personal enmities, while the motive behind two murder cases - an Ahmadi and a doctor - had yet to be determined. The court observed that a turf war was being played out in Karachi, where the land mafia and many other mafias were active. Surprisingly, it said, policemen who wanted to take action were not supported by the force itself. Justice Hani said half of the problems could be addressed if the police force was fixed.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2012.