‘The drive will only be successful if carried out without bias’

KARACHI:

“If we enforce the law without any bias, then it will be a victorious drive,” said Haji, a 65-year-old industrialist who served as the chief of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee from 1989 to 1996.

He was talking about the traffic campaign which will start Karachi from October 1 by the city’s traffic police in collaboration with the Citizens’ Trust Against Crime (CTAC) and the CPLC.

The Rangers, Sindh Police and the provincial chief secretary are already on-board for the campaign against vehicle owners not having original registration documents, driving licences, vehicle fitness certificates or registration plates issued by the excise and taxation department.

Around 30 volunteers from the citizen trust will help the police and the Rangers check vehicles on a road yet to be decided. Talking to The Express Tribune, a member of the CTAC, Nazim Haji, said they have the support of the Rangers director general, the inspector general of police, Sindh chief secretary, Sindh Assembly speaker and Sindh High Court Chief Justice for the drive. In the past, Haji has looked after the traffic and transport issues of the city during the 1992 operations. “I will be present at the traffic police picket myself. The most important work is to technologically assist the police in checking the registration of documents,” he said, adding that they would ensure that the drive is carried out in a fair manner.

The first picket will be set-up at an open and wide road in district South, he said. “We have taken all the departments on-board and will make sure that no one harasses the police. No pressure by influential persons will be tolerated.”

According to Haji, the CTAP is an independent NGO but serves as a task force for the CPLC. Its membership is volunteer-based. “The first picket will operate for one week and any shortcomings will be adjusted for the next picket. The number of pickets will be increased with time.”

In addition, to ensure strict enforcement, two mobiles of the police, two mobiles of the Rangers and two of the traffic police along with motorcycles will be present.

Naeem Sadiq, a volunteer and consultant in the field of quality, safety and environmental management, told The Express Tribune that the volunteers would not stop the cars for checking because they are not authorised to do so. “We would be bystanders and help the police in the planning, coordination, methodology and execution of the drive,” said Sadiq. He said that after they had built pressure on the excise and taxation department, they started issuing number plates with the registration documents. Sadiq was optimistic that no would resist the drive in the presence of the Rangers and the police.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2013.