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Growing menace of street crime IT is a matter of coincidence that on Dec 7 when an inter-provincial conference on country’s law and order was being held in the city, a colleague of mine underwent a traumatic experience in Defence Phase VI where three young men held up his wife and cousin visiting from Islamabad. On that very same day, there came to an end fierce clashes involving “local Taliban and bandits” in the volatile North Waziristan. In these clashes, 17 people died, and at least four sustained serious injuries. Of the 17 men, 13 were dacoits, said a report. In a way, there is room to view seriously the state of law and order, from one end to the country to the other. Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said after the conference that “there is an improvement in the law and order situation but a lot more needs to be done. The jails are overcrowded and expansion is needed”. Even the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who was in Karachi last week, observed that there was a need to deal with the problem and threat of street crime that ordinary citizens as well as the “not so ordinary” were being exposed to. Little wonder that private armed security is being employed in growing number, opening more doors of assorted opportunity. One of the points that the federal interior minister singled out was that “kidnapping for ransom, robberies, and street crime in urban Pakistan were on the increase. Snatching of mobile phone is another increasing criminal activity going on unabated.” The minister said that special measures were being adopted to check these crimes and the provincial governments had been asked to strengthen their forces in this respect. Now have a look at the terrifying confrontation with criminals that my colleague had. That he wasn’t the first target of those daring young men reflects perhaps the comfort, convenience, and desperation with which they seem to move about in town, even in the apparently well-protected areas of the city. He told me that he was standing with his wife, cousin and her three-year-old child outside his newly built house in Phase VI, Defence, waiting for the unarmed chowkidar to open the gate when suddenly a brand new white colour Corolla stopped in front of them (I am sure they understood what had gone wrong). The three young men, in their early 20s, jumped out of the vehicle and one of them came up to him in aggressive manner, pumping his silver colour pistol and put it on his belly. “Give me your mobile phone” he ordered, with his young lean hand trembling (excitement or fear was hard to tell). My colleague was determined not to demonstrate “foolish courage”. Instead, he showed him empty pockets, and said that he wasn’t carrying it. (Here I would like to mention the Dawn report of 4th December which said that the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Cell phone Snatching had “performed poorly” as 77 cell phones were still being snatched daily in Karachi.) Even his wife had nothing precious on her; she was lucky. But their cousin from Islamabad had her hand bag and she was wearing gold ornaments. Within seconds, I am told, her ornaments were handed over. No resistance. They wanted to grab her bag but my colleague requested them to take the money and leave behind the papers, passports, airline tickets. The boys obliged, he added. In fact, the three men committing the crime were in a hurry, and this was, as it was known a while later, were on their fourth assignment! Their Corolla car was a rent-a-car they had “hijacked”. So they were in panic and hurry. While driving away with the loot, like some of the others, who commit this kind of crime, they apologized for “their conduct”. And while one said “I am sorry, baji,” the other said “Don’t get upset, aunty. We are forced to do this, we have no choice.” Immediately after they sped away, my colleague, reflecting presence of mind, contacted the police, and others whom he knew. Contacts are very vital in such emergencies. He was able to reach people who matter. He was told that these three men in the white Corolla were being trailed by the police, as they had committed three other similar crimes. There is much to contemplate about the manner in which street crime is being carried out in this city. I must mention that I asked a young man last week whether he felt safe walking on deserted roads in otherwise populated areas, and he answered in the affirmative. About 30 minutes later my colleague was informed that the young men had been nabbed, and in an encounter one of them had been shot dead. From what was recovered there was nothing that belonged to his cousin. He was relieved at the thought that the encounter had taken place when he was being robbed. That could have been ghastly. Indeed, there are instances where criminals have shot dead citizens for small amounts or cell phones they wanted. And it is not uncommon to hear of a fearful ingenuity of means that are being employed in urban crime. In one instance about a fortnight ago, I heard that a couple was held up at gun and dagger point near the Sea View apartments, and the husband was dropped off. The wife was driven around for a good two hours and was robbed of her cell phone, money, jewellery she was wearing, then abused and intimidated. They dropped her somewhere near the Karachi TV station, in a state of trauma and shock. The husband in the meantime had reported the matter to the police in the area, which had begun its routine investigations. No recoveries yet. In passing, one would like to mention the dacoity that took place at the residence of Mrs Dina Mistry, a former legendary principal of the BVS Parsi High School a couple of weeks ago. They beat her up in her Parsi Colony residence where she stays with her husband, old and ailing. One citizen remarked sadly “is this what we do to our teachers?” The focus on crime in this society is growing, and it is not reflected only in the manner in which police presence is rising, but also in the increasing dependence on various levels of private armed guards that are being employed by corporate and private citizens. One most recent instance of crime and insecurity in our modern urban culture are reflected in the detailed guidelines that the State Bank of Pakistan has issued for e-card users. Those who use Debit/Credit and Smart cards have been warned not use, after dark ATMs which are located in places that are not well lit. If possible choose an ATM located in a busy area. A heavily trafficked location means additional security, believes the State Bank of Pakistan. I have heard numerous Karachiites narrating instances where citizens have been robbed, held up, or go through such an experience with people watching. If there is violence in the crime it is the best to stay away, and at a distance, says a person trying to sound street-smart.
IT is a matter of coincidence that on Dec 7 when an inter-provincial conference on country’s law and order was being held in the city, a colleague of mine underwent a traumatic experience in Defence Phase VI where three young men held up his wife and cousin visiting from Islamabad.