The People’s Party has spoken. The government is not going to be calling the army to restore peace in Karachi. The president, prime minister and interior minister have all ruled out the option in separate statements. The no-army school also has on board some rather surprising members. Former information minister Shaikh Rashid, no one’s idea of an army basher, has also said, in his inimitable style, that the army, if deployed, won’t limit itself to Karachi. You would see it in Gujranwala and Faisalabad too.
No one needs to be tutored right now in the perils of involving the army in civilian matters. They are clear to all. Even proponents of a Grand Operation cite the Naseerullah Babar’s deal in ‘96, not the Asif Nawaz fiasco of earlier.
Would it that things were this simple. By now it is clear that the situation in Karachi has ratcheted irrevocably out of the hand of the civil administration. True, the police could be empowered to take strong action but, going by what happened to the veterans of ‘96 later in the Musharraf era, it’d take nothing short of a miracle to motivate the police. Even if that were the case, the extraordinarily political requirements in the Karachi police (again, Musharraf) seem to have all but closed that door.
In the recent London riots, the British premier recounted in parliament his discussion with the metropolitan police chief regarding the option of calling in the army. The police chief had replied that he’d rather be the last man standing before letting the army do its thing. Though the premier had appreciated his spirit but told him that the army was still an option if all else fails.
All else has failed in Karachi. If the British have no compunctions against calling in the army, neither should we. A different country with a different history, granted. But an army operation well within the ambit of a civil czar-liaison wouldn’t be quite the departure from democracy it is being made out to be. If the military can operate in the troubled north, with rights’ activists cheering them on, why not in Karachi?
Actually Karachi Police needs to be reconstituted since it is illequipped to handle this crisis. Many thanas of the trouble area are simply worst places since they are operating under tremendous pressure from political big wigs and land mafia. Rangers in Karachi is also part of the problem rather than solution since they are the biggest occupiers of building and also part of the water mafia. The militias in Karachi can only be stopped if Army conducts operation in selected areas such as Lyari, Malir, Banaras, Qasba and new Sabzi mandi. This operation in Karachi would be welcomed by people since they do not have confidence in police and rangers…….
I agree with Kamal Shoaib that Karachi police needs to be revamped. The British police is highly paid and they are well educated and besides very well trained. They can stand up to an emergency situation and do not run away from the scene of crime and leave the defenceless citizens at mercy of thugs as we see in Karachi.
Karachi police should have a section of counter terrorism commandos who should be highly paid and highly educated and well equipped. For logistic purposes there should be helicopter borne police who can reach the scene of crime within shortest possible time. They should be highly trained and have most modern weapons so that they can face the terrorists who murder people with impunity.
It is quite evident that the Police and rangers can not handle the situation with all the political pressures.Army is no solution either. A better option would be to impose Governer,s rule under a strong ,Apolitical and impartial Governor who should be given extraordinary powers and the Police and rangers should directly report to him. He should take strict action against the criminals without any discrimination. A retired general or a reputed Administrator could be appointed the Governnor.
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