News
Monday, April 09, 2012
Lyari operation goes in vain* Law enforcers fail to curb decade-long Lyari gang war
By Atif Raza
KARACHI: Police and Rangers have been unable to wipe out the gangsters engaged in Lyari gang war, extortion, killing and other heinous crimes for last 10 years.
Gang war began in the beginning of year 2000 and claimed several precious lives and highly sophisticated weapons, including rockets, hand grenades, light machine gun and other heavy weaponry started being used by both gangsters groups.
Scenario changed when Pakistan People’s party (PPP) came into power, and thus one of major gangs left their dominated areas. Ghaffar Zikri has taken over the command of gang that was being run by Haji Lalu and after Lalu’s arrest, his son Arshad alias Pappu took the charge but Pappu was also arrested in 2006.
Since the gang has changed into People’s Amn Committee (PAC), the police, Rangers along with Frontier Constabulary (FC) could not get inside Lyari whole operation last week, because the ruling PPP supports the PAC.
SSP Crime Investigation Department (CID) Chaudhry Aslam Khan, a known enemy of Lyari gangsters, stood outside Lyari for media coverage during the whole operation episode. Gangsters propelled rockets, hurled hand grenades and showered bullets on police, however, the police also retaliated the fire.
At least a dozen of people were killed, while numbers of others were wounded during the dramatic move of law enforcers. SSP Khan, rangers and FC got full media coverage and withdrew from the area where gangsters fired rockets, hand grenades and bullets, killing several people.
A police official, on the condition of anonymity, told that they could not apprehend any gangster because they had direct contact with the ruling PPP higher hierarchy. He cited the meeting of high officials with notorious gangsters Zafar Baloch, Shahid MCB and Uzair Jan Baloch couple of months ago.
He said that criminals had more powers than the police and other law enforcers. Law enforcers picked up several gangsters nominated in several murder and other criminal cases but released them without legal formalities.
He cited Rangers encounter that took place in Lyari where Shahid MCB was arrested and two of his accomplices were killed and ranger men were also wounded. All the apprehended men were released and government gave one million rupees compensation to the families of gangsters killed during encounter.
Situation has remained tense in Lyari since 2000 and several efficient police officers were deployed to combat the gangsters, but such lucrative town changed the intensions of officers.
Gangsters have been using rockets, grenades and other sophisticated weapons against each other and police for the last decade but law enforcement agencies have always convinced them for a pause not even supposed to take action against them. Police officer said that it was not easy to carry out operation against the Lyari gangsters because they had much more sophisticated weapons than the police.
During the current operation, police were randomly performing outside Lyari, giving an impression of a full-scale operation. However, it ended without any conclusion because they had no clear instructions or a planned strategy.
This had not happed the first time, Police and Rangers carried out several cosmetic operations in Lyari just for photo shots and retreated without any successful operation because of heavy resistance till 2009.
Internal gun battle among the gangsters had ended as the PPP came into power and one of the gangs headed by Rehman Dacoit having closed ties with PPP managed to wipe out the rival gangs.
Rehman Dacoit’s successor Noor Muhammad alias Baba Ladla took further political cover and deputed Uzair Jan Baloch, Zafar Baloch for face saving on behalf of PAC.
Police sources said that gangsters with the support of former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza managed to wipe out MNA Nabeel Gabol of the PPP.
Gabol, the actual leader of Lyari, sought to end the gang war and to eliminate criminal elements from Lyari, but has remained unable to do that so far and the law enforcers are also getting back from Lee Market without carrying out any operation.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk