Karachi operation: MQM not singled out, says police chief
Shahid Hayat says police force understaffed.
Karachi Police Chief Shahid Hayat. PHOTO: FILE
Karachi police chief Shahid Hayat has refuted the MQM’s complaints that the party is being targeted in the operation in the city.
Speaking to Shazeb Khanzada in Express News programme ‘To The Point’, Hayat said that if the operation were focused on certain parties, then members of the Taliban or other criminal groups would not have been killed or arrested during the operation. “There can be mistakes during a large-scale operation,” he admitted, “And we have formed a joint committee of Rangers and police to look into individual cases.”
The operation ‘should continue’, Hayat said, adding that ‘if it is stopped at this stage, it will be very bad for the city’.
Since the launch of the operation, 640 people accused of murder have been arrested, according to Hayat; these arrests include those who have been members of criminal gangs and political or religious groups simultaneously. Additionally, 400 cases have been sent to the Anti Terrorism Courts.
He denied that he associates only one particular party when it comes to cases of extortion. “I have mentioned the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Aman Committee as well. We will take action regardless of whether the criminal belongs to Azizabad or Lyari or Sohrab Goth,” he said.
The police have received their greatest support from political parties, Hayat said, as there is greater awareness among the upper echelons of administration that ‘the situation in Karachi needs to be corrected’. However, he said the current situation in the city is deplorable and it will take a significant period of time to address issues. “I have serious issues with the number of police personnel,” he said. “The proportion of police to the population is very low compared with New Delhi, Bombay, New York or even Lahore.” Discussing the police’s relationship with Rangers personnel, Hayat said the two ‘complement each other’ and emphasized that the greatest problem facing the police currently is the low number of officials within the force.
The police chief went on to discuss his working relationship with the province’s chief minister, saying, “I have no interference from the CM and he has never asked me to refrain from taking action in Lyari.” He said the Sindh government has allocated Rs 20 million to reward police officers and he has distributed the amount based on merit.
Discussing the rate of success for police operations, he pointed out, “We have been able to intercept many acts of terrorism that could have been catastrophic and broken many terrorist networks.” Additionally, the proliferation of illegal mobile SIMs from South Africa, India and Afghanistan are very problematic, he added. Hayat commented that ‘the Karachi police was heavily influenced’ by an individual currently on the run, saying that red warrants for his arrest would be issued soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2014.