THE figure given by the DG Rangers on the amount of money being generated in Karachi through activities like extortion, smuggling, water and land mafias is staggering.

According to an official statement, the DG Rangers told the Sindh apex committee at its last meeting that more than Rs230bn are generated annually from criminal activities in the city of Karachi.

It is not clear how this figure has been arrived at, but media reports from last year gave a similar number.

The facts carried in the statement issued by the Rangers are widely known, so a few questions naturally arise.

Know more: Billions of black money being used to fund terrorism in Karachi: Rangers chief

Is the ambit of the Karachi operation about to widen beyond apprehending criminals and terrorists? And if the Rangers are preparing the ground to attack the nexus between politics and crime that is such a defining feature of the city’s landscape, do they have a clear endgame in mind?

The statement emphasises the links between political parties and criminal activity, but something is strangely missing.

For example, consider the emphasis placed on smuggled Iranian fuel as one of the top four rackets in the city. How does this fuel cross the country’s borders that are manned by the armed forces, either Coast Guard or FC?

Why are terror groups with a base in the city absent from the list of participants in these rackets? What about religious seminaries built on encroached land?

Ultimately, the city’s peace can only be secured with proper governance that addresses the root causes of violence like poor land supply and informal land titles, and that is something the Rangers cannot do.

The neutrality of the operation is also crucial to safeguard, and the selective list of those participating in these rackets is likely to fuel perceptions that the operation is not being conducted in an even-handed manner.

Reading the statement, one gets the impression that the only problem in the city is the politicians, which may have some truth to it, but it is important to underline that politicians and political parties are not the only organised interests with roots in the city’s rackets.

The nexus identified by the Rangers certainly needs to be dismantled, but that measure will lead to peace only when the nexus is replaced by a properly running city administration. It would inspire more confidence if one knew what plan the Rangers have to accomplish that.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2015

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