The third phase, which will be a door-to-door campaign will begin soon. PHOTO: FILE
Nearly 24 hours after Wednesday’s meeting at Governor House that was presided over by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Rangers director-general and various senior police officers met on Thursday to devise a strategy for the next phase of the ongoing operation.
The meeting, which was presided over by Rangers DG Major General Rizwan Akhtar, was attended by AIG Shahid Hayat as well as members of intelligence agencies.
Knock knock
It was decided that the next phase of the operation will focus on door-to-door searches that will be conducted in sensitive areas of the city. Official sources said that a plan was discussed to conduct searches in sensitive areas in order to arrest the criminals in their hideouts and to recover illegal weapons. “Each district police officer will be asked to provide the latest details of the criminals wanted by the police in his areas,” said one of the police officers.
No attendee of the meeting was willing to speak on record and share the details of the meeting, terming their silence as part of the new strategy. However, the Rangers spokesperson did reveal that the modus operandi of the next phase of the operation was discussed in detail. “We have also finalised the targets and will begin the next phase of the operation shortly,” he said.
The list of sensitive areas was also discussed in the meeting. Lyari, Orangi Town, Sohrab Goth, Manghopir, Landhi, Malir, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony and Federal B Area were among the areas that were earmarked for the door-to-door operation.
A police official reiterated that no specific area, group or party will be targeted. Rather, the operation will only be against the suspects involved in targeted killings, extortion, kidnappings and other criminal activities, claimed the police.
Complaints cell
Various groups and political parties had voiced their concerns over the ongoing operation, especially the role of law enforcement agencies, which prompted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to convene a meeting by inviting leaders of different political parties to listen to their grievances and to once again take them into confidence over the operation.
The prime minister announced the formation of a committee to resolve all complaints against the targeted operation, which will include the Sindh chief minister, the governor, the Rangers DG and the police IG. “The prime minister has asked political parties to lodge their complaints with the committee rather than protesting and calling strikes,” said a government official familiar with the development.
Lending support
The leaders of political parties have welcomed the announcement of the door-to-door operation. Awami National Party (ANP) leader Abdul Malik said that the party has never protested against the operation and would welcome the law enforcers’ next step of going on the offensive in the city’s most-sensitive areas. However, Malik stressed the need to only target criminals in the operation. “We hope that the Rangers and the police will not harass any innocent people,” he said.
ANP were not the only one to express their support for the operation and the leaders of various different political parties now claim that they were the first ones to demand an operation in Karachi.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Wasay Jalil said they are in favour of the operation but will not tolerate fake raids or the arrest of innocent party workers by law enforcement agencies and the police. “We welcome the door-to-door operation but we will use all our democratic power if law enforcers try to target innocent MQM workers,” he said.
Information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon called the door-to-door campaign ‘a good omen’ and said that it is the only way to bring peace in Karachi. Despite multiple attempts, no police or Rangers officer informed whether the third phase of the operation will be led by the police or by the Rangers but Memon said it could be a joint operation.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2014.
COMMENTS (7)
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PTI is the biggest party in Karachi, one can see their biggest contribution in karachi by helping out the citizens of karachi, by talking on karachi issue, law and order issues
PTI is nothing but the biggest joke in karachi, they never fielded proper candidates in karachi, they sold seats for 20 million a piece, they never talked about karachi issues to begin with and after 11 may elections, they disappeared karachi, they never raised karachi issues in the parliament?, they never tried to own karachi
on august monsoon rains, when the Arif alvi constituency faced water blockage and drainage failing, PTI sat comfortably in their homes, why then they didn't try to own karahci and raise the local bodies issue with the federal and the sindh govt?
Interesting ??? criminal are waiting for their turn :)
So Nawaz Sharif thinks that ignoring the biggest party in Karachi, PTI is a wise move? PTI secured the second largest number of votes even after massive rigging by the MQM.
@vaqas: There are plenty of avenues to check abuse of their authority, the media and courts to name a few. However, there is no avenue to the check the backing of militants in Karachi by political parties, the same parties who's representatives are now sitting in this new committee. So its an 'own goal' of sorts, but lets see how effective this third phase is.
@vaqas: No No " "v" / Waqas "... target killers usually host flags on their houses with a pirate sign on it to make sure police & rangers dont mistake their 'HIDEOUT" with someone else's.
GENIUS!!!
"but we will use all our democratic power if law enforcers try to target innocent MQM workers,” he said. Democratic Power & Innocent Workers 100$ bet..!!! rangers will find somewhere a piece of an old dictionary titled: New meanings to Traditional words; Copyrights: MQM.
So the lea's will barge into any home they please, based on mere suspicion and with no check on whether or not they abuse their authority? The political parties say that they hope innocents will not be harrassed? And their work is done? Surely this country has gone to the dogs.