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Fighting street crime in a megalopolis like Karachi has always been a challenge, but the feud between Sindh Home Minister Suhail Siyal and provincial police chief IGP AD Khowaja has thrown the law enforcement agency into a disarray and prompted the Rangers to tackle such offences.
A Sindh Rangers officer told The News that before launching a crackdown on street criminals, the paramilitary force had conducted a six-month comprehensive research to ascertain the gravity of the situation.
He said the research identified 24 more street crime hot spots in addition to the 60 pinpointed by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) in December last year.
CPLC research
In East, Malir and Korangi districts the CPLC identified 21 hot spots: Al Asif Square, Disco Bakery, Continental Bakery, Nipa Chowrangi, Hassan Square, Aladdin Park, Millennium Mall, RCD Ground, Liaquat Market, Kala Board, Bakra Piri, Rafah-e-Aam Society, Shama Shopping Centre, Darul Uloom, Babar Market, Nasir Jump, Bhittai Colony, Chamra Chowrangi, Manzil Pump, Cattle Colony and Allah Wala Town.
In Central and West districts the CPLC pinpointed 19 hot spots: Shadab Pride; Sindhi Hotel; German School; Nagan Chowrangi; Serena Mobile Market (Sakhi Hassan Chowrangi); Hyderi; Saima Pari Mall; Dhamthal Sweets, Bakers & Nimco (Ayesha Manzil); Meena Bazaar; Ziauddin Hospital; Matric Board Office; Imtiaz Super Store (Nazimabad); Super Market; Aligarh Bazaar; Faqeer Colony; Pepsi Chowrangi; HBL Chowrangi; Rasheedabad and Bismillah Hotel (Baldia).
In District South the CPLC identified 20 hot spots: Noorani Kabab, Ambala Sweets, qra University, Imtiaz Super Store (Qayyumabad), Sir Syed Hospital, Master Juice, Dolmen Mall, Baloch Colony, Capri Cinema, Empress Market, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Gul Plaza, Zainab Market, Lea Market, Hawkes Bay Road, ICI Bridge, Jackson Bazaar, Jama Cloth Market, Civil Hospital Karachi and Light House.
Rangers’ study
While the results of the Sindh Rangers’ study into street crime validated the CPLC’s research, the paramilitary force pinpointed 24 more hot spots across the city.
In East, Malir and Korangi districts the Rangers identified 12 hot spots: Jauhar Chowrangi, Gulshan Chowrangi, Expo Centre, Indus Hospital, Singer Chowrangi, Vita Chowrangi, Chiniot Hospital, Dawood Chowrangi, Quaidabad Bridge, Murghi Khana, Nehal Hospital and Bhains Colony.
In Central and West districts the Rangers pinpointed nine hot spots: UP Morr, Five-Star Chowrangi, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Javed Nihari, Gol Market, Metroville, Banaras Chowk, Paracha Chowk and Ghani Chowrangi. In District South the Rangers identified three hot spots: Teen Talwar, Sea View and Sher Shah Bridge.
‘Not our mandate’
The Rangers officer made it clear that cracking down on street criminals was not part of the mandate of the force. “However, the Rangers feel that the growing incidents of street crime across Karachi portray the city as turbulent enough to discourage potential investors. This is the only reason that the force decided to take action against street criminals.”
He said the rise in snatchings had put a question mark over the Karachi operation, but asserted that it was the responsibility of the city’s police department to protect the citizens from such crimes.
He added that the operation led by the Rangers had reduced target killings, extortions, kidnappings for ransom and acts of terrorism. “The last terrorist activity in the city was reported in August 2015, and since then no such incident has occurred here.”
The officer said that before the Karachi operation was launched, two to three people were targeted every day, but after the crackdown, two to three people were killed in a month.
Who are behind street crime?
The Rangers officer said that after its study the paramilitary force had identified the pattern of street crime, their timings and their days. He said the findings had proven the involvement of people previously associated with organised criminal gangs.
“As the Karachi operation has broken the backbone of these groups, the people associated with them have started committing street crime to earn easy money.”
He also accused the Karachi police of being involved in the snatchings. “How is it possible that citizens are being robbed in broad daylight when the city has more than 110 police stations?”
‘We are still a team’
The Karachi police chief, Addl IGP Mushtaq Maher, rejected the claim that the city’s police department has failed to curb street crime. He reiterated that the CPLC’s latest statistics clearly showed a decline in such offences.
He also rejected the claim that the Rangers alone were fighting street crime. “The paramilitary force is helping the police eradicate the menace. We conducted joint picketing and patrolling to monitor suspicious activities ahead of Eidul Fitr. I believe it is a very positive strategy to take joint action.”
He said the police had installed CCTV cameras at Tipu Sultan Chowrangi and Submarine Chowrangi with the help of NGOs to increase surveillance in those areas.
“We have launched community policing with the help of the Bohra community in Nazimabad and Ferozabad. We have also started a similar initiative with the help of the Ismaili community in Federal B Area.”
Maher asserted that the city needed 60,000 police personnel, lamenting that the department’s current strength stood at 27,000. He said the Sindh government had allowed them to recruit 6,000 more cops, adding that they would be included in the department after their training concluded by year-end. He said the police were working on software to trace stolen and snatched mobile phones. “The Karachi police have also planned to issue digital number plates and install trackers in motorcycles to reduce snatchings and thefts of two-wheelers.”
He said the Sindh government was working on the Safe City project, which could help increase CCTV camera coverage across the metropolis, adding that the police was also cracking down on drug dens because different studies had established a link between drug addiction and street crime.
East, Malir and Korangi districts:
1. Al Asif Square
2. Disco Bakery
3. Continental Bakery
4. Nipa Chowrangi
5. Hassan Square
6. Aladdin Park
7. Millennium Mall
8. RCD Ground
9. Liaquat Market
10. Kala Board
11. Bakra Piri
12. Rafah-e-Aam Society
13. Shama Shopping Centre
14. Darul Uloom
15. Babar Market
16. Nasir Jump
17. Bhittai Colony
18. Chamra Chowrangi
19. Manzil Pump
20. Cattle Colony
21. Shah Lateef Town
22. Allah Wala Town
Central and West districts:
23. Shadab Pride
24. Sindhi Hotel
25. German School
26. Nagan Chowrangi
27. Sakhi Hassan Chowrangi
28. Hyderi
29. Saima Pari Mall
30. Ayesha Manzil
31. Ziauddin Hospital
32. Matric Board Office
33. Imtiaz Super Store (Nazimabad)
34. Super Market
35. Aligarh Bazaar
36. Faqeer Colony
37. Pepsi Chowrangi
38. HBL Chowrangi
39. Rasheedabad
40. Bismillah Hotel (Baldia)
District South:
41. Noorani Kabab
42. Ambala Sweets
43.Iqra University
44. Imtiaz Super Store (Qayyumabad)
45. Sir Syed Hospital
46. Master Juice DHA Phase-II
47. Dolmen Mall
48. Baloch Colony
49. Capri Cinema
50. Empress Market
51. Jinnah Hospital
52. Gul Plaza
53. Zainab Market
54. Lea Market
55. Hawkes Bay Road
56. ICI Bridge
57. Jackson Bazaar
58. Jama Cloth Market
59 .Civil Hospital Karachi
60. Light House
Points Identified By Rangers:
61. Jauhar Chowrangi
62. Gulshan Chowrangi
63. Expo Centre
64. Indus Hospital
65. Singer Chowrangi
66. Vita Chowrangi
67. Chiniot Hospital
68. Dawood Chowrangi
69. Quaidabad Bridge
70. Murghi Khana
71. Nehal Hospital
72. Bhains Colony
73. UP Morr
74. Five-Star Chowrangi
75. Abbasi Shaheed Hospital
76. Javed Nihari
77. Gol Market
78. Metroville
79. Banaras Chowk
80. Paracha Chowk
81. Ghani Chowrangi
82. Teen Talwar
83. Sea View
84. Sher Shah Bridge
