Controlling guns in the capital
Two separate incidents of indiscriminate gunfire in Islamabad within a span of five days expose Ch Nisar’s claims regarding turning the capital into a model crime free city. The first incident took place early Monday morning when a nephew of former senate chairman Mohammad Mian Soomro, Malik Fahad, died from multiple gunshot wounds as a result of a gunfight between two rival groups at an upscale area of the city. Reportedly, the issue had initially been resolved at a local police station but both parties who had firearms in their respective cars used them as soon as they exited the police station’s vicinity.
If in fact the police were well aware of the tense situation they should have had better sense to make sure that the situation did not — at least not immediately — escalate into a deadly gun battle.
Only days later in another incident three persons on a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire at a bakery after arguing to be served out of turn. Three persons, including a security guard, were injured while the suspects fled the scene and remain missing.
These are not isolated incidents by any stretch of the imagination. Islamabad has previously been witness to a hostage situation in the middle of the city on Constitution Avenue at the hands of a single person wielding two automatic weapons.
The licensing and control of firearms is the direct responsibility of the interior ministry. These incidents amongst many others highlight the ease of obtaining firearms and circumventing an inept police force after indulging in crime.
Chaudhry Nisar’s hobbyhorse, the ‘safe city project’ that boasts installation of over 1,900 surveillance cameras around the city, should at least help apprehend suspects, if not facilitate preemptive operations. Coming at a cost of $125 million, it fails to effectively achieve either objective.
The interior minister seems to remain in a state of denial. Self-aggrandising press conferences from Punjab House will not resolve serious security concerns. Admitting the problem would be a good first step followed by identifying and addressing intelligence and security lapses.
You get exactly what you ask for through your vote, nothing more and nothing less. Instead of grumbling and complaining, you should be cursing yourselves and your ignorance which you have repeated at each and every election for the past 5 decades. The rural and the urban uneducated poor can be forgiven, it is the educated illiterates who are the real culprits. When they learn to walk the talk, the rulers will have no option but to do the same, or they will find themselves in the dustbin of politics?
Comments are closed.