Editorial

Karachi operation — two years on

To ensure the operation continues to succeed, law-enforcement agencies must display total impartiality in all actions

Editorial September 07, 2015

What we need is de-politicisation of departments whose job it is to ensure peace and adherence to law. PHOTO: PPI

According to the police chief of Karachi, tremendous progress has been made over the past two years in combating crime of all kinds in the city since the operation led by Rangers and the police began two years ago. Marking the anniversary of this day, the police chief said that there had been a 70 per cent reduction in crime as a result of the operation in which 272 police personnel and some 77 members of the Rangers have been killed. For the people of Karachi, the reduction in crime is of course a relief. Most citizens have welcomed this and praised the ongoing action in the metropolis. However, the point to be made is that security agencies cannot permanently stay in charge of law and order in Karachi. At one point or the other, the civilian administration will need to take charge of the situation. An operation on this scale can only be a short-term affair. In the longer run, the civilian administration, and especially the police, will need to play a more prominent role, which implies that what we need is de-politicisation of departments and institutions whose job it is to ensure peace and adherence to law.

It is also a fact that the operation has created some political disarray in the city. The law-enforcement agencies are not inaccurate when they point out that criminal mafias are closely tied in with political elements. Given the nature of politics in Karachi, we however, need to be cautious to avoid any impression of there being victimisation or deliberate targeting of particular political parties. To ensure the operation continues to succeed, the law-enforcement agencies must display total impartiality in all actions and make sure they cannot be accused of carrying out a deliberately designed agenda. Such suspicions, even if unjustified, would only worsen the existing situation in Karachi and add to the mistrust and allegations of various kinds which have already to some extent marred it. Avoiding this is especially important given the relative political balance in Karachi. Yet, law and order has to be maintained and it is a good omen that the law-enforcement agencies seem to succeeding on this count at the moment. At the same time, however, acts of violence, such as the massacre at Safoora Chowrangi, have also continued during the past year. It is critical that all such violence also ends in the country’s financial hub.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2015.

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COMMENTS (3)

S.R.H. Hashmih | 9 years ago | Reply After two years of Karachi operation, the law and order situation in the city shows substantial improvement which is a most welcome relief. But this may be due to a large number of culprits eliminated or apprehended, others lying low for the moment, waiting for operation to reduce in intensity or to end, when they could resume their criminal activities and yet others having left the city, the province or even the country, waiting for an opportune moment to return. So, the relative peace that we see now may marginally or substantially disappear when the additional and very useful help of Rangers is withdrawn partly or completely, which will have to happen one day. So, as you rightly say “ At one point or the other, the civilian administration will need to take charge of the situation.” And .”In the longer run, the civilian administration, and especially the police, will need to play a more prominent role, which implies that what we need is de-politicisation of departments and institutions whose job it is to ensure peace and adherence to law”. Also, ways have to be found to improve the effectiveness of the Police by increasing its numerical strength to a level appropriate for a city of the size that Karachi is, as well as by supplying them the necessary tools-of-trade, plus improving the intelligence gathering and sharing arrangements. You are also right when you say that pursuing the connection between criminal mafias with political elements has landed the law enforcers in a territory where the demarcation between criminal and political activities may not be clear-cut. And that the law enforcers need to tread very carefully so as not to create an impression of victimizing or deliberately targeting any particular political party, which is an obvious reference to MQM. Come to talk of MQM, it is a fact that the Rangers declared their intention to target sector and unit incharges of MQM just for being so– and even without allegation of any criminal activity against them – and we actually saw this policy implemented. At the same time, we now hear of opening of new sector and unit offices in Karachi by MQM (Haqiqi) which had also received substantial support from the authorities during an earlier operation against MQM. There are also allegations of imposing undeclared restrictions on the day-to-day activities of MQM in an attempt to put a squeeze on it and to curb its activities. And there are allegations by MQM leaders of dozens of their workers tortured, killed-extra-judicially and even made to disappear without trace after being taken into custody by law enforcers. And the fact that a committee of independent persons to monitor the operation and to ensure that it was conducted in an impartial manner has not been formed even after two years despite frequent protests by MQM makes one feel that it was perhaps a matter of commission and not so much of omission. We also saw strong protests by various leaders of PPP on the arrest of Dr. Asim Hussain. However, certain events have created a sort of impression that Dr. Asim Hussain will be pursued only in connection with MQM-related charges. There are also suggestions that some Peoples Party leaders accused of involvement in serious criminal activities have been let off the hook. Also, an impression seems to be evolving that the anti-corruption operation is Sindh, and perhaps MQM-centric while the rest of the country and leaders of other parties appear to have been spared. Since the army is directly involved in Karachi operation, any misgivings about the way it is being conducted will reflect on the army. And it would be a shame if the army’s name gets maligned by acts of certain individuals who may be biased and may be following certain agenda, at a time when the army seems to be enjoying unprecedented popularity due to effective operations in tribal areas and elsewhere in the country. Karachi.

IBN E ASHFAQUE | 9 years ago | Reply However, the point to be made is that security agencies cannot permanently stay in charge of law and order in Karachi. This is the plan that Karachi will be permanently occupied by outsiders who will suck it dry. Terrorism was the great window of opportunity.

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