Rangers want street criminals tried as terrorists

During a recent apex committee meeting held at the Corps Headquarters, the Sindh Rangers suggested registering cases of street crimes across Karachi under the Anti-Terrorism Act’s (ATA) Section 7, which deals with punishment for terror acts.

The Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing, earlier issued a statement that said the meeting was chaired by Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and attended by senior civil and military officials.

The forum was briefed on the law and order situation of the metropolis and the internal security matters of Sindh. The progress of the National Action Plan (NAP) was also reviewed and a discussion was held on the recent escape of dangerous terrorists from the Central Jail Karachi, with suggestions for corrective measures.

Expressing satisfaction over improvement of the law and order situation, the meeting impressed upon the requirement for persistent efforts to achieve durable peace and stability across the province.

Areas requiring more focus to retain the dividends of peace that were identified for further progress included police reforms, better coordination between the federal and provincial authorities on NAP, expeditious completion of the Safe City Project and the need for swift prosecution.

Sindh Rangers spokesman Col Qaiser Khan briefed the meeting that the number of street crimes in Karachi had decreased when compared to last year’s figures, adding that the paramilitary force had focused on important factors contributing to such offences for six months.

He said unemployment was the most contributing factor, followed by power load-shedding and smaller number
of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, including those out of order. Among the recommendations for curbing street crimes, the Rangers asked registering such offences under Section 7 of the ATA.

Col Khan claimed that 70 per cent of street criminals were drug addicts. He said that most of them committed such offences during traffic jams, adding that the car parking mafia was another contributing factor, as snarls-up occurred due to mismanaged parking on roads.

He also mentioned protest demonstrations because of water and electricity issues as factors responsible for traffic messes, which provided the street criminals with opportunities to rob the people.

Another factor is rainfall, he said. Besides those factors, he added, the mobile phone markets and consumers were the major culprits because they purchased snatched phones from criminals.

The meeting was informed that there were around 661 spots across the city where some 2,841 CCTV cameras were installed, of which 250 were out of order, so criminals took advantage wherever the cameras were not installed.

The forum was also told that for the past six months University Road was under development, because of which the traffic load was moved to other roads that created gridlock and provided opportunities to criminals.

Regarding bank robberies, the Rangers official informed the meeting that the financial institutions were not following the standard operating procedures issued to them by the State Bank of Pakistan, claiming that most of the snatchings occurred at ATM outlets.

Col Qaiser said that none of the criminals operated without backup, adding that snatched and stolen vehicles were sold in the market, and that to counter the crime cameras must be installed to monitor the people purchasing the parts of the stolen vehicles.

The Sindh Rangers also proposed some recommendation for Lyari Division and other parts of the metropolis. The meeting was told that to counter crimes the force had deployed its troops at various locations, and that criminals fled the other way wherever they saw the soldiers on duty.

The forum was informed that most of the terrorists had been operating out of jails, where they had built a strong network with other criminals, and that the setup was dismantled by the Rangers and police.

The apex committee was told that the special policing powers granted to the Rangers would expire on July 14, and that whenever the paramilitary force’s powers expired, an increase in street crimes was reported.

The Rangers have adopted an appropriate strategy after observing a pattern in street crimes. The plan focuses on specific timings and places, deployment of soldiers at different locations and increased snap checking, for which 550 places have been especially marked. They have also increased the number of deployed soldiers.