The ongoing drive to rid Karachi of unfit and illegal vehicles spares no one, whether he is a government official or a businessman. PHOTO: FILE
In the ongoing campaign against motorists violating traffic rules, jointly held by the traffic police, Sindh Police, Citizens Trust Against Crime (CTAC) and Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), the violators are often seen trying to pressurise the officials by using references of top officials and powerful relatives.
On Tuesday, when the traffic police officials stopped the car of the Malir deputy commissioner, Qazi Jan Mohammad, at their checkpoint on Khayaban-e-Shamsheer, all hell broke loose.
"The car bore a plaque concealing the licence plate which is why it was stopped," explained Roland de'Souza, a CTAC volunteer. When the driver removed the black cloth from the plaque, it read 'DC Malir', he added. The police officials removed the plaque and fined the driver of the vehicle after which it was allowed to go.
About half an hour later, DC Malir Qazi Jan Mohammad, accompanied by DC South Mustafa Jamal Qazi, turned up at the site and reportedly started harassing the officials who had fined the former's car. "How dare you stop a government car?" Mustafa, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, screamed at the officials.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, de'Souza said that "The DC South tried to abuse his position by attempting to pressurise the police officials who were just doing their jobs." He lamented that, if the deputy commissioner of the area was not willing to follow the rules, how were others expected to follow them.
Clifton police assistant superintendent Abadit Nisar told The Express Tribune that the deputy commissioner's car was stopped because its licence plate was concealed by a black plaque. "The DC was angry initially but later calmed down when we reasoned with him." According to Nisar, the DC was unhappy with the police officials' attitude when they stopped his car.
Meanwhile the provincial chief of traffic police, AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo, told The Express Tribune that he was satisfied with the performance of the officials. "What is illegal, stands illegal. We are working for the rule of law," he remarked. "If we start leaving people who violate the law just because of their status, then this drive will be of no importance." He added that the campaign will continue until the rule of law was established across the board.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2013.
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