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THIS is with reference to the letter ‘Traffic police will be missing Ramazan rather seriously’ (March 30), which made the point that beggars were not alone on the streets of Karachi having a field day; traffic police force was having just as much fun at the cost of the people. I wish to add another element in this regard; the Sindh Excise Department.
We generally see traffic police harassing vehicle-owners on one pretext or the other, but I faced harassment of a different kind this Ramazan.
While driving with my family on Rashid Minhas Road, I was suddenly intercepted by an excise police van that came up from behind. The officers in the van waved at me to pull over to the side. Although I was initially confused, I complied and parked the car.
Once I stopped, I was instructed to open the bonnet so they could verify the chassis number of the vehicle. After they were satisfied with the check, I expressed my concern about what might have alerted the Excise Department to stop my car.
The manner in which this was done, without any explanation or prior indication, made me feel as though I was being treated as a potential criminal or terrorist despite having no cause for suspicion.
I voiced my sentiment, and it was rebuffed dismissively and casually. “This is how we operate,” one of the officers remarked. This response, in addition to their unprofessional behaviour, left me feeling disgusted.
While I understand the importance of law-enforcement and security measures, this kind of treatment from public officials is concerning. I believe it is vital for officers to be trained to handle interactions with the public respectfully and professionally.
No one should feel unnecessarily harassed or targeted while simply going about their daily lives.
One can only hope that the minister concerned will take the matter seriously, and that steps would be taken to ensure better conduct from the Excise Depart- ment so that people may not have to experience such a distressing behaviour.
Saad Ali
Karachi
Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2025
