KARACHI: Highlighting data of major crimes in the pre- and post-operation periods in the city, indicating drastic reduction in crimes except theft of two-wheelers, police’s Counter-Terrorism Department chief Dr Sanaullah Abbasi on Saturday called for preparing a strategy for sustainability of peace in the metropolis.

Giving a lecture to students of a private university and later talking to Dawn, the CTD head said the sustainability of relative peace in the city was difficult as while operations were carried out, after some time crime resurfaced with more intensity.

Therefore, the additional inspector general of the CTD suggested that there was a dire need to formulate a strategy for sustainable peace.

“For this strategy, capacity building and depoliticisation of police is imperative with automation of force,” said Mr Abbasi.

For the last 30 years, Karachi had experienced horrible episodes of violence. “The successive governments had tried to contain it but to no avail,” he said.

‘Depoliticisation, Rangers’ help provided enabling environment to police’

“In some contexts, some experts of social science and criminology even went to the extent to say that successive governments were part of the problem instead of a solution.”

Whether they were unable or unwilling to tackle the issue of political violence was a moot point.

Referring to interrogation reports of the accused, Mr Abbasi said the perpetrators of violence were mainly political activists of the ruling party and other parties.

“Even the banned organisations have political elements and vice versa.”

Sectarian killings

Data showed that from 2013 till 2017, banned organisations had killed 630 people mainly on sectarian grounds.

It showed that from Sept 5, 2013 to Dec 31, 2013, around 15 people were killed, while 182 in 2014, 262 in 2015, 107 in 2016 and 64 in 2017 fell victim to sectarian killing. In the current year so far no incident of sectarian killing had been reported, said the police data. During the same period, 414 militants linked with sectarian outfits were arrested by law enforcers.

Data of major crimes

Nevertheless, the political parties with other stakeholders decided to conduct an operation in Karachi on Sept 5, 2013 giving more powers to the Rangers in aid of the police.

At the outset of the operation, mainly terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, targeted killings and extortion were the main challenges. After the operation, the main heads of crime decreased tremendously, as the data showed.

In 2016, seven incidents of terrorism (bomb blasts) took place in the city, which were reduced to three in 2017 while so far no incident of terrorism had taken place this year.

Similarly, 45 targeted killings took place in 2016, 23 in 2017 and so far only two incidents of targeted killings had taken place in 2018.

Regarding extortion, the police data showed that 195 incidents of extortion were reported to the police in 2016, 153 in 2017 while so far this year around 35 cases of extortion have been reported.

About kidnapping for ransom, it has been pointed out that 49 kidnappings took place in 2016, 46 in 2017 and eight this year so far.

The data showed that the operation paid dividends after the efforts of the police. The pre-operation period data of different crimes showed that 12 incidents of terrorism took place in 2010, 22 in 2011, 13 in 2012 and 51 in 2013. However, after the launch of the operation in September 2013, the data showed that 34 incidents of terrorism took place in 2014, seven in 2015, three in 2016, one in 2017 and so far no incident of terrorism (bomb blast) had taken place in 2018.

Regarding murders on various counts, the pre-operation period data showed that 2,789 murders took place in 2013, 2,403 in 2012, 2,042 in 2011 and 1,724 in 2010.

However, the post-operation data showed that 1,823 murders took place in 2014, 995 in 2015, 667 in 2016, 582 in 2017 and so far 134 murders had taken place in 2018.

In the pre-operation period, 273 people fell victim to targeted killing in 2010, 508 in 2011, 530 in 2012 and 509 in 2013. However, the post-operation period data of targeted killings showed that 189 people fell victim to targeted killing in 2014, 159 in 2015, 45 in 2016, 23 in 2017 and two so far in 2018.

About kidnapping for ransom, the police data showed that 109 incidents of kidnapping for ransom took place in 2010, 110 in 2011, 113 in 2012 and 78 in 2013 in the pre-operation period.

However, in the post-operation period, 110 incidents of kidnapping for ransom took place in 2014, 35 in 2015, 21 in 2016, 17 in 2017 and three so far in 2018.

As for extortion, the pre-operation period data showed that 102 extortions were reported in 2010, 237 in 2011, 221 in 2012 and 533 in 2013.

In the post-operation period, 423 extortion incidents were reported to the police in 2014, 233 in 2015, 160 in 2016, 118 in 2017 and 27 so far this year.

Encounters

About ‘encounters’ since Sept 5, 2013, when the operation was launched, the police data showed that in 55 months before the operation 4,417 encounters took place in which 2,869 gangs were busted while 21 alleged terrorists, three kidnappers, 11 extortionists and 449 robbers were killed.

However, in 55 months during the operation, 5,286 encounters took place in which 6,265 gangs were busted while 434 alleged terrorists, 38 kidnappers, 12 extortionists and 1,325 robbers were killed.

The CTD Sindh chief said the performance of the police increased because of change in some variables which were firstly affecting police negatively before the operation such as politicisation of police, low morale, lack of capacity etc.

The Rangers provided and created an “enabling environment” for full-spectrum law enforcement.

The technological help and unity of efforts and synergy created by all stakeholders have added to law enforcement and ultimate relative peace.

Besides, human resource of 144,211, though arguably not enough for a city like Karachi, has succeeded to bring about relative calm in the metropolis.

However, these successes have cost police much in terms of lives of law enforcers as 183 policemen were martyred in 2014, 90 in 2015, 41 in 2016, 32 in 2017 and so far three policemen have been martyred in 2018.

The CTD chief admitted that street crime was still a “problem” though the figures compiled by the CPLC, a third and neutral party, had shown a decrease in street crime except two-wheelers’ thefts.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2018