It’s Karachi’s ethnic hodgepodges that worry police

Karachi
Although most of Karachi has been declared “sensitive” or “highly-sensitive” for the local government polls on December 5 in terms of security, it is the areas with residents of different ethnicities where police fear outbreaks of violence and riots on the day of elections.
Police officials said there were fewer chances of violent clashes breaking out in neighbourhoods where most residents belonged to the same ethnicity, for example the areas primarily populated with Urdu-speakers wherein the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was facing little or no opposition.
But where there was a hodgepodge of ethnicities there could be trouble.
These places include Banaras, Punjab Colony, Manghopir, Sohrab Goth, Quaidabad, Shah Latif Town, Lines Area, Jutt Lane, Orangi, De Silva Town, Sher Shah and Lea Market where a presence of two or more of the Punjabi, Pakhtun, Hazarewal, Mohajir and other vote banks counts and different stakeholders are trying to cash in on it.
Many political parties including the Pakistan People’s Party, the Pakistan Teheek-e-Insaaf, the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Awami National Party are all banking on the ethnic card.
Lyari, a traditional stronghold of the Pakistan People’s Party, is also prone to trouble with the Baloch and Katchi ethnic lines drawn and the PTI trying to make inroads there too.
Besides, PPP candidates in Lyari are at the risk of being attacked by the sleeper cells of the area’s criminal gangs.
The police officials said they would have to ensure that there were no attacks on candidates and election offices in Lyari as well prevent clashes between the rival Uzair Baloch and Baba Ladla gangs.
The officials said they were taking additional security steps in the towns of Lyari, Malir, Shah Faisal, Bin Qasim, New Karachi, Shah Latif, Gadap, Saddar and some parts of Clifton as there could be clashes between the Punjabi, Pakhtun, Sindhi and Urdu-speaking groups with each other.
Basically, with the city divided on ethno-political lines and the easy availability of weapons, police are particularly focusing on the Korangi, Central, and West districts, some pockets of the East district and Lyari.
Police official said a single incident of caused by ethno-political tensions could trigger violence and riots in the whole city.

How to deal with it
At a meeting of senior police officers, it was noted that there were about 4,100 polling stations being set up in the city, 1,000 of them declared “highly-sensitive” and 1,500 “sensitive”.
The police department, to handle the shortage of manpower at its disposal, has taken security personnel from other government departments and will also be assisted by Rangers on the election day.
DIG South Dr Jamil Ahmed told The News said a security plan had been chalked out in consultation with different stakeholders and election commission officials.
In the South Range, there are about 502 “highly-sensitive” polling stations for which 5,522 security personnel including 3,000 Rangers soldiers will be deployed.
Besides, there are 103 “sensitive” and nine “normal” polling stations in the range.
Ahmed said the SSPs of South and City districts had prepared effective security arrangements after corner meetings with the stakeholders.
Surveillance of political activists by the Special Branch and intelligence officers was also under way.
The DIG said the department had divided the potential threats into three categories. In the first category are the pre-election security threats including blasts at major public gatherings, clashes between rival groups, targeting of candidates and VIPs etc.
The second category is the threats on the election day including clashes between rival groups, harassment of polling staff and voters, snatching of ballot papers and boxes, and blasts or other terrorist activities.
The last category is the post-election threats that include clashes and attacks on post-election rallies, receptions and winning candidates.
The DIG said keeping in view these threats police had adopted extra security measures including provision of security during election campaigns and safe transportation of polling material.
Besides the security of polling stations, election staff and material, and voters will also be ensured.
SSP West Azfar Mahesar told The News that 60 percent of his district had been declared “highly-sensitive”. He added that between 7,000 and 8,000 security personnel including police, Rangers, army troops, Rapid Response Force, Quick Response Force and Anti-Riot Force would be deployed throughout the West district on the day of elections to maintain peace. The army troops, he added, would be deployed at the polling stations declared “highly-sensitive.
The West district comprises four towns, 39 UCs and there are 850 polling stations housed in 600 buildings.
The official said he had bifurcated security arrangements in three categories. The first will be headed by an SP. In the sub-sector, the arrangements will overseen by a DSP. In the third cluster, an SHO or another inspector-ranked officer will be looking after the affairs.
A cluster being overseen by an SHO will comprise four polling stations.
The SSP said in addition to the current manpower at his disposal, he has requested his high-ups to provide him with 40 more inspectors, 16 DSPs and six SPs.
The official said police would ensure the security of safe transportation of election staff and material to polling stations, then maintaining security during the polls and later their employees and material’s safe return to election commission office.
“The personnel deployed for the election staff and material’s security will stay overnight at the polling stations and accompany the staff through the whole process until the ballot boxes are safely taken back to the election commission office,” he added.