The law and order situation in the country, especially in Karachi, is unpredictable. Whether it is due to sectarian, religious or political issue or problem of power outage, violence can spark at anytime and anywhere and it may turn in to a riotous situation or mob attack.
People should beware of any aggressive and disorderly crowd bent upon destructive actions, such as arson, looting and killing. At that moment expecting the law enforcers to come to one’s rescue borders on foolishness. People should rather come to some quick decision, coolly and calmly.
There may be a situation where one is alone or accompanied with one’s family and in an area with which one is not familiar. But with little common sense and courage one can minimize the risk of mob attack. Here are few tips:
The first and foremost requirement is to keep oneself well informed about the nature and scope of the threat that exist in the area. Newspaper and TV channels can be of great help. Also, before moving out somewhere, one should check about the law and order situation in the area, including the area one will be passing.
When general situation in the country or in one’s city/area is tense and unpredictable, one should remain alert all the time wherever one is. One should keep an emergency plan ready in one’s mind to meet an eventuality. In the event of a mob attack, one should always have a plan ready for escape.
Each room of one’s house/workplace must be provided with an emergency fire exit. Also, arrangements for climbing down from the upper storeys of the house/building as well as for scaling the boundary wall should also be made for a quick getaway from the area in case the mob has set the building on fire and the staircase/elevators are blocked.
In case one is caught up in a mob or riotous situation anywhere, one should then try to get away from that area as quickly as possible, without exposing oneself to the approaching mob. Taking refuge in shops, restaurants, banks, petrol pumps, offices and factories etc, should be avoided because such places are always targeted by the attackers.
Even mosques, shrines and other religious places are not safe to take shelter these days as these places are especially targeted by mobs to spark further violence. If someone’s car is stuck in a traffic jam and the mob is approaching nearer, it is wise to abandon the car and run for some safe place because rioters may start torching the vehicles and looting or killing the people if found sitting in vehicles. While escaping take special care of children, women and physically handicapped/sick persons as they cannot run or climb down/up and scale a boundary wall.
The appropriate response to a threat of mob attack covers a broad spectrum from passive compliance to disabling the attacker and escaping. No one can tell you in advance what you should do. You are the only one who can make the decision since every situation is unique and demands its own solution. There are no pat answers or universal formulas to evade mob attacks.
SQN LDR (RETD) S.AUSAF HUSAIN
Karachi
