‘Overstepping’ jurisdiction: To get rid of criminals, DHA guards start their snap-checks

We won’t let them take law in their hands: DC South.

KARACHI:

The security guards of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) have started snap-checking in and around the neighbourhood, stopping motorcyclists and car drivers to verify documents and search for weapons.

Known as the vigilance staff, which mostly comprises retired soldiers, the private force has been carrying out snap-checks along Sunset Boulevard and some other points in violation of the law. “They can’t do this,” claimed Mustafa Jamal Qazi, the deputy commissioner of district South. “No one has given them the permission. I haven’t been told of any such exercise and we will put a stop to this.”



Armed with shotguns, the guards in blue uniforms have taken up a policing role, which has seen a fierce debate in the past over its jurisdiction. The authority has around 800 men, who are deputed at clubs, libraries, colleges, parks and sometimes even on streets. DHA guards are supposed to assist the police and Rangers, who are the only authorised law enforcers with powers to stop civilians if they see some suspicious activities. The DHA guards have, however, been manning the streets on their own for the past couple of days.

A spokesperson for DHA, Rafat Naqvi, was not able to confirm that the DHA guards had taken up this role without seeking assistance from the police. “We couldn’t do that anyway,” he clarified, nevertheless. “We don’t have the authority to issue challans.”



Meanwhile, DHA vigilant officials said that keeping an eye on the entire neighbourhood is out of the question, especially when there are so many escape routes. “The best way to deter crime is to shoot some of these damn criminals,” claimed a retired army officer. “Let’s set some examples.”

For his part, Qazi explained that several other private forces will crop up if the DHA is allowed to take the law in its own hands. “We have told them that one of our magistrates should be with the guards whenever they carry out snap-checks. Otherwise whatever they do would be illegal.” This seems, however, an unrealistic requirement as the entire district, which stretches from Saddar to Clifton, has only three magistrates.

DHA has for long tried to convince the government to let its guards have some policing power to curb the rising street crime but the request did not see much takers. Unlike the gated societies of Askari and the Navy Housing Scheme, DHA has 43 entry and exit points. Deserted streets with pole lights often switched off makes it a haven for criminals as young men on motorcycles can easily escape in the maze of interlinked streets.

Officials admitted that the police and Rangers have failed to stop street crimes in DHA and its surrounding neighbourhoods, but they blamed it on the fact that most cases go unreported. The DHA guards are, however, reluctant to confront bandits without the legal cover to use their weapons.

DHA officials used to have magisterial powers till the year 2000, before the local government system was introduced. The authority monitored that bylaws were being followed by its residents and it also provided enough leverage to check law and order, said a DHA official.

The DHA and the police have formed a task force with six vans and 10 motorcycles to keep a check on criminals. DHA has also set up a control room to monitor surveillance cameras installed in all the commercial areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2013.