News
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Over 300 arrested, cache of arms recoveredRangers search Karachi homes
* 1,000 security personnel take part in 8-hour-long operation in Orangi Town
* Locals stage protest demonstration against operation
By Atif Raza
KARACHI: Around a thousand security personnel on Tuesday went house-to-house rounding up dozens of men in Orangi Town as part of a crackdown on soaring violence in the provincial capital.
Rangers personnel detained over 300 persons and seized a large cache of weapons during the search operation.
According to reports, the search operation was initiated on tip-offs provided by men who had earlier been arrested, who revealed that some miscreants involved in the recent target killings were hiding in these areas.
Reacting on the said information, heavy contingents of rangers, commandos and police cordoned off different vicinities of Orangi Town, including Fakir Colony, Omer Baloch Muhalla, Pareshan Chowk, Hazara Colony and Farid Colony, at around 3am and started a door-to-door search at 5:30am. Resultantly, rangers detained over 300 people during its search operation. These detained people were initially gathered at an open place and later shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation. Sources said the search operation continued for eight hours and ended at 12:45pm.
Two helicopters provided aerial support to the Rangers during their eight-hour.
The sources said the Rangers had identified some 45 criminals, who were transported to an unidentified place for interrogation.
Following the recent spree of target killings in the city, which claimed over 37 lives, the Sindh government decided to launch a selective operation in some 120 localities to maintain peace in the city before the local elections, sources said, adding that this search operation, which was aimed at arresting miscreants who were hiding in these areas with the intention to flare up target killings, was part of the said decision.
Residents of the localities staged a protest after the search operation, alleging that the security personnel had detained innocent people without any reason. The locals criticised the rangers for not engaging female personnel in the operation.
When contacted, officials dispelled the impression that the rangers had not engaged female personnel for the operation, saying that female law enforcers were also involved in the door-to-door operation.
The officials refused to provide the exact number of arrests made, but confirmed that the rangers had made several arrests and recovered weapons.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk