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PrintKARACHI: After the killing of over 265 policemen during the over two-year period of the Rangers-led Karachi operation, the paramilitary force announced on Monday the ‘next phase’ of the operation in which “killers of policemen, lawyers and prosecution witnesses” would be arrested.
The Rangers-led Karachi operation was launched in September 2013 and since then 265 policemen have been killed in the metropolis. Seventy-eight policemen have been killed over the first 10 months of 2015.
Without specifying the number of phases of the Karachi operation, a Rangers spokesman said that in the next phase “hired assassins and their facilitators would be arrested and eliminated”.
The announcement of the second phase by the paramilitary force baffled police, as a senior police officer expressed his unawareness about it saying only Rangers could explain the next phase of the operation.
He said that the police and Rangers had been arresting criminals and killing them in encounters in the city.
Police sources said that three elements — a political party, banned sectarian outfits and hired assassins — were responsible for the recent killings of the law-enforcers in the metropolis.
The sources said that policemen were being targeted to undermine the perceived effectiveness of the Karachi operation since the number of targeted killings had dropped to one or two from eight-10 per day.
They said that lawyers and media persons were also being targeted to put a question mark on the performance of the law-enforcers.
Karachi Bar Association president Naeem Qureshi told Dawn that 54 lawyers had been killed since 2007. Of them, five had been targeted in the current year, he added.
He regretted that most of the cases had been declared ‘A-Class’ due to lack of evidence.
The KBA chief said that Rangers director general Major General Bilal Akbar had decided to reopen all murder cases of lawyers and promised the legal fraternity to take the killers of professionals to task.
He said Colonel Shahid of the Rangers on Monday informed the KBA that Rangers DG would meet them soon.
The police are also more focused on the protection of witnesses since the killing of a key prosecution witness in the Sabeen Mahmud murder case.
Another senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, said that legislation had been carried out but no funds were provided for witnesses’ protection in high-profile cases.
He said although around three-four witnesses had been shifted to safer places by the police recently, funds were needed to shift at least 100 witnesses to safe places.
Meanwhile, the Rangers urged the citizens of Karachi to approach their helpline 1101 to provide information about criminal elements.
Also on Monday, the Rangers arrested suspected hitman Abdul Rahim in Keamari.
The suspect belonged to the militant wing of a political party, said the Rangers spokesman.
During initial interrogation, the held suspect allegedly confessed to have killed three policemen in 2005 and several other killings on ethnic grounds.
“The suspect committed these heinous crimes on the order of his party’s high command,” said the spokesperson.
The suspect was handed over to the police for further legal action, he added.
Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2015
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Comments (24)
Anti-terror training of police elite force by USA and/ or others is an urgent need, equip them with latest weapons to crush criminals supported by foreign powers.
All political wings of political parties, MQM, JI, and PPP should be disarmed.
Please name the banned outfit.
@ali ... wake up ali.
...and when will launch 1st Phase in Punjab..?????????????????
@Hope There is no point in providing training to the current Sindh Police crop simply because most of them are affiliated with one political party or the other. Firstly, Sindh and Punjab police need to be cleansed from political influences and only then any training should be provided.
@Hope brother! they'll have to stop paid recruitment in police first. before this, all is in vain.
why only Sind! what about the other part of the country?????
Excuse me??? Why rangers did not arrest them in first phase and waited for second one? and now that first phase is over what were their achievements? Isn't the time has come to accept your failure!
Agreed Nadeem
The paramilitary force announced on Monday the ‘next phase’ of the operation in which “killers of policemen, lawyers and prosecution witnesses” would be arrested. So Rangers are admitting that the “killers of policemen, lawyers and prosecution witnesses” were free to do their thing in last 2 years simply because Rangers thought "the right phase" has not started yet. What a joke!
Go ahead,the Nation is supporting you.
across the board!!!! i guess....Yes, disappointment over perceived unfairness, injustice, promises not kept, tends to go hand in hand with increasing prosperity. Expectations are dashed. What can I say!....
I always see similar coments about when wil punjabs turn come. Dear brothers if a bodys limb has an infection we wil treat it and wont say...it doesnt matter the other limb has an infection as well. LeJ was killed in an encounter in punjab. We hear on a frequent basis about tactical operation carried out in sheikhupura or the outskirts of lahore. In my opinion the problem with punjab is that the problem pertains to local leaders or feudal lords whereas in karachi it pertains primarily to a political party...
So the killers of policemen couldn't be apprehended in Phase-I of Rangers operation????
The "Phases" themselves says that the operation is not across the board. Anything said to be across the board is not launched in phases.
Khairpur: two "political" parties exchanged fire and killed 14. No action by rangers yet. Media houses remained silent on the "political" disarmament of the parties involved.
Lahore: Heavy loads of arms and ammunition were "discovered" from an office of a "political party". Media houses remained silent on the "political" disarmament of the parties involved.
Wrong target.
Am I the only one that finds it a bit odd that the rangers decide to announce "who" exactly they plan on targeting in this next phase of the operation. I mean the aforementioned people know who they are and what crimes they have committed. Now when they know they are being targeted in the next phase of the operation they will obviously then go into hiding or if they are lucky take a one way ticket out of the country.
Tahir Plaza, Karachi, where Lawyers and their staff was burnt after being locked, should also be included. The senior echelone of the Police has become restless because host of them are part of the crimes. Recently a dozen senior Police Officers were removed from their duties after it was proved they were part of crime in the city. Killing of the police-men is also related with their physical involvement in crimes. The House has to be cleared before pointing finger at LEAs.
@Hope Good suggestions. Billi ke gale me ghanti bandhega kaun ? All they say " need funds" to protect Policemen !
What about killers of doctors?
The people of Karachi must be thankful to Sindh Rangers for their fight against terrorists, contract killers, abettors and facilitators. If the operation is continued without any break or reverse button on account of political pressures and compromises, this mega city will be clear of all types of criminals and anti social elements. in the next phase, the Security Agencies must work on disarming political parties including MQM, PPP, JI, and any other outfit. The operation network should be extended to the whole province to end the reign of dacoits, who have made it difficult for people to move safely without police convoys. No done should cry or feel marginalized on the actions taken by the Law Enforcing Agencies in Karachi.
@Muhammad Irfan RIGHT AFTER COMPLETION OF N-LEAGUE TENURE
Karachi needs a new police force........