Order in the court, disorder on the streets

KARACHI: In October 2011, the Supreme Court had issued a list of recommendations in the suo motu Karachi violence case which was initiated the same year, following one of the bloodiest summers the city has ever witnessed.

The original recommendation made by the apex court over which the police and Rangers were raked over the coals on Thursday and Friday is: “We direct that there must be no no-go areas’ at all in Karachi. If any is found or credibly reported to the court, the Police and, if required by the provincial government, the Rangers shall take strong and decisive action to eliminate it. Moreover, if such an area is proved to exist to the satisfaction of the court, we may require the IGP himself, and if necessary the DG Rangers also, to personally lead the operation into such areas.”

While the Rangers have denied the existence of no-go areas throughout all the hearings of the Karachi violence case, DIG Shahid Hayat cracked, and stated the contrary on Thursday. The law enforcers have now been given 15 days to clear out all no-go areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2013.