News
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Violence in Karachi
SC directs government to expose perpetrators
* Court expresses dissatisfaction over report submitted by government
* IGP Sindh confesses several parts of Karachi are ‘no-go areas’ for police
KARACHI/LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over a report presented by Inspector General (IG) of Sindh Police Wajid Durrani on the Karachi situation and directed the government to expose those behind the spate of violence.
The report is neither comprehensive nor has been prepared with serious concentration as the facts are missing in the report, observed a five-member bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Ghulam Rabbani.
The IG admitted before the Supreme Court that several parts of Karachi were ‘no-go areas’ where even police could not enter. He also disclosed that violence occurs in the city on ‘ethnic bases’, adding that it happens between Urdu-speaking and Pushtoon, Baloch and other communities.
The Supreme Court, which was hearing a suo motu proceeding on an application by an advocate, seeking to prevent deployment of army in Karachi, asked the IG as to what investigations had been conducted and who were responsible for the violence in Karachi.
Referring an Urdu newspaper, Justice Muslim said that it seemed the report was prepared on the basis of news reports appeared in several newspapers. He said that the police did not maintain the record of criminals as a result of which they get bail and escape punishment.
Justice Rabbani said that the police could not make any arrangement to arrest the extortionists red-handed.
Durrani said that the business and traders communities did not cooperate with the police, adding that “they only cry against extortionists but were not ready to support the police”.
The IG explained that the extortionists and land grabbers were also responsible for the bloodshed and they also finance miscreants groups in Karachi. About the presence of alleged torture cells in some areas of the city, Durrani said that the police had not found any.
He said that there were several ethnic groups in more than 100 areas of the city, adding that more than 300 people were killed from July 24 to August 24.
He informed that 232 cases were registered at 75 police stations during the period. Durrani claimed that despite the current carnage, police along with other law enforcement agencies, remained successful in controlling the situation.
He said that 25 police stations of the city were very important and the most affected during the recent violence.
On a query, he said that it was impossible to revert or suspend the station house officers (SHOs) by holding them responsible for violence in their respective jurisdictions.
If this policy were adopted, the police department would run out of officers to be appointed as the SHOs, he said.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Anwarul Haq also submitted a report of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during the hearing.
Durrani said that 32,000 policemen were serving in the city, adding that only 20,000 were operational. He said that 12,000 were non-operational out of which 4,000 were protecting SIU and CPO officials and 8,000 were on VVIP duties.
When the chief justice asked him to explain why the VIPs required so much security, the IG expressed ignorance on the matter. staff report/daily times monitor
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk