Ehsan Mehmood Khan
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Political cheerleaders acknowledge no involvement in killing and terrorism, but often claim the dead to be their workers. Yet the killing sprees in the past have always abated after “peace deals” between the political parties. Political rejoinders are often considered to be climax of conflict resolution round the world. Nonetheless, Karachi is different in this regards too. Political moorings do allow pauses between the tides of violence but never an end to the menace. This denotes that the polity not only projects solution but is also a part of the problem.
Commas and colons before the charges of violence are no solution for Karachi. It needs a complete full stop; a lasting solution. When we know that, in one form or the other, polity too is part of the problem – something oft-confessed by all political parties – security of the Cosmopolitan must be de-linked from the provincial political stepladder, yet keeping the polity as a prime stakeholder. For this, a long term strategy involving all stakeholders is required to be hatched and firmly put in place. Imperatives of security in Karachi are reconciliation, digitization, deweaponization, and de-politicization of police and cosmopolitanization of security system.
Firstly, the intermission in existing wave of violence is important. This needs reconciliation process involving all stakeholders. These include political parties, civil society, ethnic communities, media, eminent organization representing the corporate bodies and security agencies. Without accord between the stakeholders, the remaining process would not be more than a wishful exercise on a rough paper. It also looks relevant to suggest that Karachi be handed over to Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) till such time that the situation normalizes. If necessary, the government should not hesitate to employ military forces in the most trouble zones for a limited time. This exercise must conclude at making a permanent conciliatory commission made up of all stakeholders.
Secondly, even while it may be difficult to digitize the entire country, a comprehensive central database must be prepared for Karachi, which should be available with all security agencies. Key figures should be available even online. The database should have the particulars of each citizen and minutiae of each house, key features and assets. Criminal records of individuals and groups should be an essential part of the database. The data should be prepared by NADRA under the auspices of Ministry of Interior, wherein each resident of Karachi, whether permanent or temporary must be obliged to register. This must also include the record of mobile SIMs used by each individual. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has the capacity to do the job, if backed up by political will.
Thirdly, weapons, whether legal or illegal, are made to kill. Hence, it is imperative to cleanse the city of weapons. Yet, legal weapons are lesser evil and are authorized under the law. On the way of de-weaponizaiton, it is considered that not only the illegal weapons be cleansed from Karachi but measures must also be taken to control the flow of legal weapons under the shadow of the powerful ones. All arms licenses should be digitized, as has already been announced by the Federal Government besides linking license and weapon number with NIC of the license-holder so as to guard against possession of more than one weapon on one license. For violation beyond the prescribed date, heavy penalties need to be legislated. Weapons buy-back programme can help minimize the number of illegal weapons to some extent. All said, de-weaponization can come true only through a sustained process rather than an event.
Fourthly, cosmpolitinic security and policing system needs to be introduced in Karachi. At the present, 105 out of total 440 police stations of Sindh are located in Karachi (32 in West Zone, 36 in East Zone, 31 in South Zone and 6 in other areas) with an authorized strength of 28,000 personnel out of total 70,133 policemen in the province. Against the UN recommended norm of 222 policemen per 100,000 people i.e. one cop per 450 people, Pakistan has average police strength of 186 per 100,000 citizens i.e. one cop per 537 citizens; still a healthy figure. The strength of police in Karachi is less than the national average too. On average, one policeman is employed for 715 citizens. This denotes that the strength of police needs to be at least doubled. Besides, the number of police stations i.e. 105 is not sufficient to police a city spread over 3,527 square kilometers. On the average, each police station is to take care of 33 square kilometers, something grossly opposite to the international cosmopolitanic models. Even with the same strength of police personnel, the number of police stations can be enhanced and equipped better. A police station should not be required to take care of more than 16 square kilometers i.e. 2 kilometers on either side, if centrally located. Each police station must have the database of people, assets and crime in the assigned area.
With better mobility and communication means and linkage with the people and communities, police should be held accountable for each crime taking place in the area of jurisdiction. Police should have relative independence to act and react without need to look towards political bosses. All other departments should be linked with police for the purpose of security. Besides, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) should be dovetailed with the system of security led by the cosmopolitan police. At least one company of Rangers must be permanently deployed in each of the 18 towns of Karachi to act in collusion with police.
In sum, the security edifice of Karachi lies in a political solution dovetailed with apolitical system of security based on total digitization, complete de-weaponizaiton, de-politicization of security forces especially police, and above all, regular reconciliation by permanent conciliatory commission made up of all stakeholders. Let the people at the helm of affairs rest assured that peace in Karachi denotes peace in Pakistan. If it remains peaceful, all would remain at peace. Alternatively, it would keep serving as murder capital of Pakistan and thus, the peace dream of every Pakistani would simply peter out. (Concluded)
