A report by the Rangers, made public by DG Rangers Sindh Major General Bilal Akbar, has pointed to a dangerous nexus between the top political and bureaucratic leadership, other powerful groups and the criminal and terrorist gangs that have created havoc in Karachi. According to the report, which has immediately come under fire from politicians including those from the PPP and notably the MQM, an economy of Rs230 billion funds all kinds of criminal and terrorist activity in the city. The money is collected through crime and extortion, frittered away from the Karachi fish harbour and distributed among Lyari gangs, and from the booming land mafia which has found new ways to make money. These apparently include slicing up small blocks from green belts or other public areas and selling them off. In addition, the report also identifies the collection of money for zakat as a means to fund terrorism – something that has been mentioned before but only in whispers. The assertions made by the Rangers need further investigations. Certainly, some aspects could carry weight. But in Karachi, there is also the problem of the larger political battle being fought as well as the tussle the MQM finds itself in. The MQM, which has lashed out at what it terms a collection of unfounded accusations, is obviously looking at the report as a further act of victimisation.
For the sake of Karachi, it is important to ensure transparency in the process of crime control. If this does not happen, the waters are in danger of becoming very murky as political groups in charge of the city strike back. Essentially, we need all stakeholders and parties to work together to help challenge crime in Karachi. The Rangers report helps to identify how it is funded. This in itself is important. Funding and the trail left by money is always critical to campaigns aimed at curbing crime and terrorism. If the Rangers have found a true trail, it must be followed up on; and it must be followed up in a way
that is transparent to all of us. We know there is an urgent need, indeed a desperate one, to free Karachi of the crime and terrorism that have destroyed it. The two appear to be linked. But the campaign to achieve this has to be well-thought-out, backed ideally by political will. Credibility is essential but so too is the need to clean up Karachi. If the Rangers can achieve this, they will have made a huge gain in winning back a city that has been lost to crime and violence.