Thrills and funerals for Lahore’s street racers

Unemployment has forced the youth to look for quick ways to earn money that include gambling, theft, kidnapping for ransom, and motorbike racing and one-wheeling.
According to sources, the root cause of motorbike racing and one-wheeling are mechanics who customise bikes to such an extent that their speed almost doubles. In some cases, mechanics make these highly customised bikes and find riders for them who conduct races in which the loser pays the other mechanic part of the cost of making the bike. Such high speed racing often turns out to be fatal for the young riders looking to make a few bucks.
Today such racing has become a phenomenon in areas of Allama Iqbal Airport, Mehmood Booti Road, Jallo Morr and from Muslim Town underpass to Punjab University underpass.
These races start around dawn on Saturday morning and often the organisers strike a deal with the local police station before the fatal event. In case, the police raid the event, they are unable to arrest the speeding motorcyclists and even if they are able to detain anyone, they are released for an amount of money.
The cash prizes for such races range from Rs 100,000 to Rs 200,000.
Lahore has numerous motorcycle mechanics who prepare bikes especially for races. These include Bao motor mechanic of Rehmanpura, Naveed of Javed Market, Shakeel Topi of Rehmanpura, Aamir Bakri of Rawan Road, Papa of Pir Ghazi Road, Asif of Lahore Hotel, Shami group of Gawalmandi and Azeem of Ferozepur Road Bank Stop.
Sources said if a fatality occurs in these races, the kith and kin of the deceased are unable to pursue legal proceedings against anyone and even if they are able to register a case it is done on the pretext of a road accident. Sources further said often rivalries start between different groups who get involved in serious crimes such as murder to settle scores.
Aqeel, brother of Mohammad Shakeel (who lost his life in one such incident) said, “My brother was a mechanic and also a racer who had won on several occasions. He was killed by his own friends out of jealousy.”
He said some people from the Farooqi gang belonging to Jallo Morr came to his brother’s shop and shot him dead. He said their mother has been suffering from mental disorders since Shakeel’s death. “But God gave us justice. Even though we had registered an FIR, police were unable to arrest the culprits. However, we found out some time later that police shot the leader of the Farooqi gang in an encounter,” he said.
He went on to tell the story of his younger brother Adeel who also opened a motorcycle shop following Shakeel’s death. “We told him on several occasions to not get into this business but he wouldn’t listen and he put up his own shop,” he said. The 22-year-old Adeel lost his life in a motorbike accident and died on a footpath. He had gone out with friends to try out a new bike he had been working on. “I have lost two brothers to motorcycle racing,” said Aqeel in despair.
He said that even today hundreds of young boys are involved in motorbike racing, and also steal bikes for the purpose. “It’s a downward spiral involving our youth in several crimes and putting their lives at stake,” he said.
Mechanics from Rehmanpura – Bao and Shakeel told Pakistan Today that they do not ask anyone to take part in races. “Boys come to us in groups asking us to work on their bikes and are ready to pay whatever it takes,” they said. “We are mechanics and it is our job to work on their bikes in the manner they want. Now if they indulge in racing after that, we have no control over it,” they said.
Azeem, a mechanic from Bank Stop Ferozepur Road, said his motorcycle Honda CD70 is the city’s fastest. “It runs at 130 km per hour and no one in Lahore can beat that at the moment,” he said. He said he was working on a Honda CG125 motorbike which he expects will reach top speed of 170 km per hour, beating all previous records. “At present the fastest CG125 belongs to Shami mechanic of Gawalmandi which runs at around 165-170 km per hour,” he said.
“After I complete my bike I will take part in a race and beat Shami’s motorbike to become the undisputed winner in Lahore,” he said.
According to police, youngsters involved in motorbike racing and one-wheeling are often involved in street crimes to cater to their racing needs.
Police sources said often youngsters caught in such activities belong to respectable households and are involved in racing and other crimes to make fast bucks. They said becoming a racer is a gateway into gangs. Good racers, they said, make contacts with criminals and their services are often needed.
Civil Lines SP Investigation Tariq Aziz while talking to Pakistan Today said, “Often those involved in racing and one-wheeling are connected to various other crimes. We arrested a college graduate who possessed a pistol. During investigation he confessed that he had been involved in 33 robberies.”
These boys, he said, drive so fast that it becomes very difficult to go after them. He said these boys start off with small robberies, mobile phone or wallet snatching, and eventually get involved in serious crimes. “Their parents are oblivious to these activities and are in denial always believing that police has registered a false case against their child,” he said.
SP Aziz said when he was an ASP in Gulberg, he had taken strict measures to stop one-wheeling and had put up banners warning of legal proceedings against violators.
“These measures had curbed such activities in Gulberg to a large extent. Lahore Police is active against such activities and gangs involved in them and will continue with its efforts,” he said.