The writer is Editor of The Express Tribune
We are told you are visiting Karachi in response to the current security situation here. As is expected, you will be given briefings by the high and the mighty, many of who are equally clueless about the on-ground situation. You will meet the home secretary, the chiefs of police, the Rangers, possibly the army high command and of course the chief minister. The MQM says that so far they have no intimation about your meeting them.
First piece of advice: let bygones be bygones. Forget the exchanges you had with Karachi based parties in the past and start afresh. Meet everyone, but do your own homework. The issue of Lyari will also be raised. Lyari is the symptom of a bigger problem – the patronage of criminals by political parties.
Businessmen will talk to you about Bhatta. And street crime. Both are a menace for people of Karachi. At the same time, both are possible because powerful quarters patronize them. Compare the number of bhatta and street crimes with the number of arrests and convictions. You will have your answer.
You will be told about high handedness of the Rangers and the police. The police in Karachi is a mafia in itself. You see policemen on street corners extracting money from the poor and the helpless. They are the biggest Bhatta collectors in the city. There is no merit in their appointments, transfers and postings. But you will be told not to interfere as it is a provincial subject.
You will be equally helpless as far as fixing the city’s traffic is concerned, which also comes under the purview of the provincial government. The Lahore and Islamabad traffic police is much better. But all attempts at reforming the Karachi traffic have been resisted because of the billions that are extracted.
The Rangers are a peripheral force. Like the police, they are also outsiders. There are almost no Karachi-ites within their ranks. They aid the police as and when their officers decide to. In most instances they do almost nothing. For the average tax-paying Karachi-wallah, they are seen as a problem, not as a solution.
Despite being interior minister – one of the most powerful positions in the country, there are areas you will unable to visit in the city. This include Lyari and Mangopir, where militants have control. But there are many places you can visit. For example, go to the passport office and see how the immigration and passport wing functions. Hundreds of people have to wait hours in the sun to be told that their passports are not ready. And there is nowhere to complain against this poor service.
The FIA immigration wing is a story in itself. On good days, all the staff does is protocol work at the airport and slipping illegal immigrants to other countries. You are not from Gujrat. Maybe you can go after the agents who facilitate this trade.
The FIA’s other port of call is its cyber crime and the financial crimes circle. You need to only ask what they have done in the past five years. How many crimes have they unearthed and whether they have a system to redress complaints from the public. It is a dumping ground for good officers.
Tickle your curiosity. Find out how many gun licences have been issued in the past couple of years in Karachi alone. While you are at it, find out many how many private security agencies operate in the city and of which how many are properly registered and what action has been taken against those that operate without a licence. These are all questions you need to start with. They will ensure quick follow up visits for you in days to come.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd, 2013.
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COMMENTS (17)
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the solution is as obvious as a daylight, crackdown on all political parties cum mafias namely MQM, PPP, Sunni Tehrik, ANP, Jiyay Sindh, as long as govt can do that there will be LONG LASTING peace
Hope Mr Nisar is listening
@Tahmina: That statement is debatable.
Let him have the guts - and the brains - to assess that what Karachi needs is strong and effective local government as the very first step to resolve the issues of this city. All other solutions flow out of this single step.
I'll never visit Karachi. I'm scared getting stuck in traffic jams. I'm scared of outages, etc. etc. etc.
"There are almost no Karachi-ites within their ranks"
Hits the nail on its head.
Kamal Sahib, all you needed to write was just this: You Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan the FEDERAL HOME MINISTER (OF PAKISTAN!) you know or OUGHT to know what ails Karachi, either fix it or let someone else do it.
Did not people of Karachi elected PPP, MQM to rule?
@Ch. Allah Daad: If PM and Federal Interior Minster don't have free hand, then wonder who else has?
Pakistan is passing through economic crises. more than 3 Million, illegal immigrants are living in Karachi. How a poor country like Pakistan can afford unwanted millions of illegal immigrants living in Sindh? They are both economic burden and may possibly source of crimes in Karachi. It is not against law to send illegal immigrants back to their respective countries Afghanistan, Burma, Bengladesh, India, etc.
What exactly is the interior minister supposed to be doing if everything is in the hands of the provinces, and then people will scream and shout saying look the federal government doesn't give a hoot about Karachi. And we all know how incompetent our provincial government in Sind is with an 86 year old CM
Our politicians, they basically lack the vision to settle such turmoil situation as we are witnessing in KHI. Especially PML-N, all they can think of is improving LHR.
Very well written piece. The writer isnt blaming the PML-N government for these problems but highlighting the issues we Karachiites have been facing. These issues need to be taken head on. Whos going to do it when the PM doesnt even have the time to make a symbolic visit to Karachi for a few hours to offer fateha at Quiad's, i.e. the real ones, mazar.
//. Give him free hand and few years, then expect some tangible solutions. // They make the Federal Govt., who should they ask the freehand from? Chinese?
If Interior Minister starts to do anything approaching the right thing, the ppp-wallahs and mqm-wallahs will end up on TV shows lamenting that their mandate is being ignored. Law and order is the responsibility of the provinces, why should the PMLN get involved in a no win situation which their detractors will ensure fails, and use that very failure to bash them? Set a red line, when it is crossed, impose governor's rule, only then can the PMLN be held directly responsible for security for karachi. Like what happened in Balochistan when Raisani was sent packing. This time they should be pre-emptive and set a deadline.
Why is the honorable writer trying to scare Mr. Bean away?
First make mess of everything and then expect new government to solve all problems with a majic stick. Give him free hand and few years, then expect some tangible solutions. As far as Karachi and FATA is concerned, only Chinese Army can solve it.