WHILE the situation continues to worsen in the commercial hub of the country with daily deaths of around a dozen people in addition to rising incidents of kidnapping and extortions, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain has stated that deployment of army in Karachi has become indispensable. Interacting with the media in Peshawar, Mian Iftikhar demanded that army should be called in to restore peace and offered cooperation of his party in deweaponising the city.
For several years this newspaper has been opposing the involvement of army in domestic matters particularly in controlling law and order because that would lead to criticism of this respectable institution from certain quarters. Law enforcement agencies including police, rangers and FC are at the disposal of provincial governments to deal with outlaws and street crimes. There are many reasons behind the disturbances, target killings, extortions and kidnappings in Karachi and one can say with certainty that criminals cannot survive for long without backing of influentials and police station of the area. It is an open secret that police high-ups in Karachi are under extreme political pressure and they either do not take action against the criminals or whenever they take the initiatives or nab some high profile proclaimed offenders, political pressure is exerted for their release because most of the outlaws are backed by the ruling political parties. As Karachi has expanded manifold, civic and other necessities have not kept pace including increase in the strength of police and it is under extra burden. The honest officers, who do not bow to pressure, are either got transferred or killed through the criminals. The Advisor on Interior Rehman Malik who in the past dashed to Karachi whenever the situation deteriorated is trying to absolve himself of the responsibility and saying that maintenance of law and order is a provincial subject. In such a situation, involvement of a neutral institution becomes necessary and Mian Iftikhar Hussain is justified to make demand for handing over the responsibility of restoration of peace to army. Citizens of Karachi deserve peace and for that an across the board clean up operation has become inevitable.
For several years this newspaper has been opposing the involvement of army in domestic matters particularly in controlling law and order because that would lead to criticism of this respectable institution from certain quarters. Law enforcement agencies including police, rangers and FC are at the disposal of provincial governments to deal with outlaws and street crimes. There are many reasons behind the disturbances, target killings, extortions and kidnappings in Karachi and one can say with certainty that criminals cannot survive for long without backing of influentials and police station of the area. It is an open secret that police high-ups in Karachi are under extreme political pressure and they either do not take action against the criminals or whenever they take the initiatives or nab some high profile proclaimed offenders, political pressure is exerted for their release because most of the outlaws are backed by the ruling political parties. As Karachi has expanded manifold, civic and other necessities have not kept pace including increase in the strength of police and it is under extra burden. The honest officers, who do not bow to pressure, are either got transferred or killed through the criminals. The Advisor on Interior Rehman Malik who in the past dashed to Karachi whenever the situation deteriorated is trying to absolve himself of the responsibility and saying that maintenance of law and order is a provincial subject. In such a situation, involvement of a neutral institution becomes necessary and Mian Iftikhar Hussain is justified to make demand for handing over the responsibility of restoration of peace to army. Citizens of Karachi deserve peace and for that an across the board clean up operation has become inevitable.
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