‘Dala’ symbolises Pakistan’s power gulf

KARACHI: In Pakistan´s largest city, cars inch forward in bumper-to-bumper traffic. But some seamlessly carve through the jam: SUVs flanked by usually black pickup trucks of a Japanese automobile company.

These trucks, commonly known as “Dala”, have become a symbol of power, affluence and intimidation in a society marked by significant class divisions.

“The vehicle carries an image that suggests anyone escorted by one must be an important figure,” 40-year-old politician Usman Perhyar told AFP. “It has everything -- showiness, added security and enough space for several people to sit in the open cargo bed.”

On Karachi´s chaotic roads, the trucks part the traffic -- speeding up behind cars and flashing their lights demanding drivers move out of their way.

The brand first became popular among feudal elites for its reliability in rural and mountain regions.

But in recent years, the “Dala”, as it is locally known, has soared in popularity as an escort vehicle among newly successful urban business owners.

Guards with faces wrapped in scarves and armed with AK-47s can be packed into the back of the truck, its windows blacked out. “Dala” debuted in 1968, and it was later upgraded and rebranded with prices ranging from Rs10 to 15 million.

Their prices have remained steady and they retain excellent resale value in a market traditionally dominated by their manufacturer.

Dealers say there was a spike in rentals during February´s national elections.

“I swear to God, you can´t run an election without a dala,” said Sajjad Ali Soomro, a provincial parliamentarian from Imran Khan´s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

In Gujrat, politician Ali Warraich -- from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party -- finds it essential to travel with an escort of two of the trucks.

“Politics without this vehicle has become nearly impossible,” he tells AFP. Without one, he argues, potential supporters could question his influence and turn towards competitors.

“As a result, it has become a basic necessity,” he said.

The truck has also become a trademark in the “abduction” of dissenting voices, activists told AFP, with the word “Dala” serving as a euphemism for those involved in covert operations.

“Every time I see this vehicle on the road, I go through the same trauma I endured during my custody,” said a political member who was picked up earlier this year.

Former leader Khan was bundled into a black Dala when he was picked up in May 2023 in the capital.

He later accused the rival party heavyweights of trying to win the election “through Dala”. A poet and activist was taken away in a Dala after a raid on his home.

“Sometimes, they park these vehicles around or behind my car, sending a clear message: ´We are around´,” he told AFP. “A Dala aligns with their business of spreading fear, which they take great satisfaction in.”

In Karachi, a city rife with street crimes, the imposing Dala deters even outlaws. Police “don´t typically stop me because they feel that I might be someone who might impact them in a bad way or harm them in some way or the other,” Khan said.