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Reconciliation policy brings Karachiites, police sleepless nights
August 17, 2012
As a result of the PPP’s reconciliatory policy almost all parties sitting in the assembly have been enjoying power for the past four years, but as a result of this policy the people of Karachi as well as the law-enforcement agencies are facing the worst. In Sindh Assembly, currently, with the exception of former chief minister Arbab Rahim and his three associates, the remaining are part of the treasury benches which includes MQM, PML-F, ANP and other parties.
During the current tenure of the PPP-led government, the leaders of PPP, MQM and ANP are blaming each other for target killings, extortion and other crimes while the law- enforcement agencies are busy cracking down on criminals. But due to the PPP’s reconciliatory policy and political inductions in police no disciplinary action has been taken against the criminals. Hence the public sufferings continue.
As a result of this reconciliatory policy, the police only managed to present 90 criminals before the court in 119 murder cases during the first seven months of this year. According to police, Karachi police Special Investigation Unit, Crime Branch, Special Investigation Cell, Crime Investigation Cell and Crime Investigation Department arrested 90 target killers from 1 January to 31st July. It was claimed that these 90 target killers were involved in up to 400 murders. When they were presented in courts only, the challans of 119 murder cases were presented against them.
Police claimed that the Crime Investigation Department had arrested 25 target killers in seven months while only challans of 36 murder cases were presented against them in different courts. The Special Investigation Unit also arrested 25 target killers while 37 challans were presented against them. The crime branch police arrested three target killers and presented their challans in 4 cases.
Karachi police, District West, had arrested 12 target killers and presented their challans in 15 cases while the District South police arrested two target killers and presented them in courts only in three cases. District Central Police arrested nine target killers and presented 11 challans against them in courts while District East police arrested 10 target killers and presented their challans only in 10 cases. Malir police arrested four target killers and presented challans in three cases.
It is pertinent to mention here that a claim was made that these target killers were involved in 400 murder cases. On the other hand, the conflict between the workers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan People’s Party has intensified on the issue of extortion during Ramadan Mubarak.
The residents of Orangi Town are extremely annoyed at the forced receipt of Zakat, Fitrah and Eidi. The workers of PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement quarreled in which the workers of the latter opened fire, injuring three persons including Javed Bihari. The incident resulted in firing in other areas of Orangi Town. When Javed Bihari lost his life and his body reached his locality, the residents came on roads to protest. The situation in Bangla Bazaar, Nishan-e-Haider area, Islam Chowk and areas of Sector 15 remained critical in the mid of Ramadan. Javed Bihari belonged to PS-95. On July 3, the President of PS-95, Amjad Shaheen, commonly known as Shaheen Bihari, was killed along with his friend Haroon in the same area, whereas former president of PS-95, Abdus Salam Bihari, who was paternal uncle of Javed Bihari, was killed some time ago.
Before this, on July 31 the workers of MQM opened an indiscriminate fire near Rehmat Chowk when shopkeepers refused to pay extortion. Consequently, Shahid Bihari and a thirteen- year-old were killed. Shahid Bihari was the son of a book depot owner and he also refused to pay Fitrana. After the incident, the situation in Orangi Town got tense and some persons broke items in Unit 119 of Muttahida Qaumi Movement located on Rehmat Chowk. They also burnt the furniture of the Unit. After the incident, a big population of the area affiliated with PPP started opposing the forced Fitrah campaign of MQM and engaged in an armed clash.
This year during Ramadan, the MQM distributed ‘Parchis’ of Fitrah in the areas of PPP influence; the PPP did the same in localities of its supporters. It is to remember that five provincial constituencies, PS-93, PS-94, PS-5, PS-6 and PS-7, fall in Orangi Town. At least two persons were injured when a car packed with explosives blew up during Ramazan outside a private hospital in Gulberg area. According to police, the criminals had demanded Rs5 million extortion form Saleem Memon, the owner of a private hospital. Saleem Memon informed the Gulberg police and CPLC about extortion.
According to police, the criminals came to scare the hospital owner for delaying the payment of extortion but when the criminal pulled the pin of hand grenade in front of the hospital the bomb slipped out of his hands and fell in the car and exploded. According to police, accused Rizwan Baloch and the fleeing criminal Salman Baloch are extortionists and belong to Arshad Pappu Group. The arrested accused Rizwan Baloch told the police about his accomplices during interrogations and the police started raids to arrest him. Rizwan Baloch and Salman Baloch were residents of Block J area of Noor Jahan Roa. It must be kept in mind that Arshad Pappu group is being supported by the MQM.
In Sindh the government of PPP and MQM is being run under the reconciliatory policy. The two allies developed differences several times over the non-holding of LB polls. Every time the MQM turned out to be the winner and took many advantages. Similarly, this time also the MQM has provided the PPP with a list of 250 of its workers who should be inducted in the police. The Sindh govt forwarded this list to the police high-ups and just a couple of days back the appointment letters of these workers were issued. The new MQM inductees have been appointed in various police stations of five districts of Karachi without any training or courses.
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