Despite over 100,000 arrests and the systematic elimination of the network of mafias in the financial hub of the country, the government still seems to have lost what was ought to have been gained in the Karachi operation.
Among the arrested, only a fraction have been taken to task, while most of the suspects eluded the clutches of the law enforcers due to lack of preparation on part of the prosecuting authorities, It has learnt.“The conviction rate for suspects arrested during the targeted operation is as low as 5%, of course due to poor investigations and prosecution,” disclosed a senior official privy to the matter. He said peace in Karachi is as fragile as a spider’s web.
The moment the decision to put the Karachi operation on the back-burner is made, the gangs and mafias that once controlled the city will resurface and start reassembling their network, the official warned.
He placed the blame for this inevitability on the government and the tug of war among power wielders. “Nearly all political parties have an interest in keeping the crime syndicates alive,” he said. “This is evident from the fact that those arrested during the past three years had affiliations with political parties.”
Extinguishing the ray of hope
Sindh IG Allah Dino Khawaja’s sudden departure on ‘forced leave’ is a clear indicator of political interference in policing matters.
Former Sindh IG Afzal Shigri believes this to be true. He says Khawaja’s removal will demoralise the entire police force and will also impact the Karachi operation. “The IG is equal to a police force of 100,000 officers,” he said. “When the [does] such things to the IG, the entire force would obviously be demoralised.”
With the changes in the top military brass and the transfer of the officials who were staunch proponents of the operation, it is suspected that changes might be made in the policy to take the operation forward towards the concluding stage. The former top cop, however, believes otherwise.“This is only propaganda that the Karachi operation will collapse with changes in the military leadership. The army and Rangers will continue their actions,” said Shigri. He said that the army and Rangers have played their role well but the government did not play its role as it should have.
“The decisions to improve the prosecution system and judiciary taken in the National Action Plan are still pending implementation as [the] government did not show interest. Even the Pakistan Protection Ordinance has already lapsed and the tenure of the military courts is likely not to be extended,” said the former IG.
All in favour, say aye
A senior Rangers official is also of the same view. “The change in leadership is not an issue because the armed forces will continue with the same policy,” he said. “There is a proper chain of command and everyone has to follow it. No doubt, the Chief of Army Staff and Karachi Corps Commander’s visits suggested that the new military leadership is in favour of the Karachi operation and the operation will continue with more speed.”
Report card
The Rangers and police claim to have arrested about 100,000 criminals during the three-year-long Karachi operation. Of those 100,000 criminals, 80% were proclaimed offenders, absconders, street thugs, robbers or drug peddlers, while only 20% were directly involved in the unrest in Karachi by engaging in terrorism and serious crimes such as bomb blasts, targeting law enforcers, professionals and businessmen as well as political and religiously motivated killings.
The police seem unsatisfied with the success of the Karachi operation as well. “Normalcy may have nearly returned but unfortunately this is a temporary peace and we fear that there will be backlash soon after the law enforcers officially end the operation,” lamented a senior police official. “We were unable to award punishments to the criminals via courts due to the weak prosecution system, which gives advantages to the criminals.”
The officer said that most of the leadership is in hiding. “We just attempted to cut off the leaves from the trees in this operation but the trees remain in their same position,” he explained.
