Dozens of streetlights along the University Road, from the University of Karachi (KU)’s Silver Jubilee Gate to the Malir Cantt Gate No 6, haven’t been switched on in six months.
The University Road, a part of the Signal-Free Corridor-III, remains in dark the entire night, providing criminals a free rein to take full advantage of the switched-off lamps.
The two roadside blasts that occurred on the University Road on Friday and Saturday morning were probably remote-controlled, which means that the terrorists had installed the bombs in both the incidents during the preceding nights.
Moreover, citizens, some of whom have to take the same route every night, are mugged on a regular basis under the shroud of darkness.
Though repeated complaints have been registered by the affected commuters and the residents of Mosamiat Chowk, Sachal Goth, Safoora Goth and other adjoining areas, no action has been taken by the authorities so far.
According to the locals, many road accidents and vehicular traffic gridlocks on the University Road are also a result of the non-functioning streetlights.
Despite the fact that Rangers and police have deployed their personnel at some points along the route after receiving repeated complaints regarding increasing crimes, the town administration has not bothered to switch on the streetlamps.
The town administration pays the electricity bills of the installed streetlights, but dozens of these lamps remain switched off the entire night.
Some residents of the Mosamiat Chowk area claimed that criminals are responsible for keeping the streetlights switched off to ensure the protection of darkness during their crimes.
“Criminals have employed several tactics, like keeping the roads damaged and the streetlamps switched off, to avoid detection while they steal from the locals and commuters,” said the residents.
They said the incidents of Friday and Saturday could have been avoided if the streetlights had been working along the University Road.
Rangers and police should ask the authorities concerned to ensure proper lighting and road-carpeting of the few damaged kilometres between KU and Malir Cantt Gate, they added.
