Taking crime for granted

The street crime in Karachi has reached ugly proportions. But he big question is, just what is the Sindh government doing to control the worsening situation except for giving lame excuses or resorting to blame-game.  Quite regretfully, no concrete measures seem to be in place anywhere, neither are there any efforts to engage the youth of the province in constructive activities that could possibly deter them from indulging in crime and violent trends.

Last week, the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while reacting to reports of the rising crime rate soon after the gruesome murder of TV journalist Athar Mateen, attributed the rise in street crimes in Karachi to the current financial situation of the country for which he blamed the federal government. However, he clarified that no one is seeking excuses and he accepts the responsibility for the gloomy scenario.

Later, presiding over a high-level meeting, the CM made it clear on the law enforcers that he would not tolerate street crimes any more. He expressed his dissatisfaction over the police and rangers’ performance and said that they were not visible on roads. He asked the law enforcers to devise result oriented strategy to ensure the citizens’ safety.

After the 18th amendment, the Sindh government is autonomous and it cannot blame the federal government for the rising unemployment or bad governance in the province, according to politicians and analysts who insist that it is imperative for the PPP government to curb the crime and create jobs for the youth.

Reacting to the Chief Minister’s statement, the political analysts lamented that the provincial and the federal government are busy blaming each other but not taking solid measures to ensure the citizens’ safety or check the rising crime rate. The analysts pointed out that inflation has been an issue during the past as well but cannot be cited as the sole cause for the mounting crime rate in the city. They, however, agreed that if the unemployment will increase, crime will also go up in proportion.

A few days back, the Interior Minister Shaikh Rasheed also offered the Sindh government to appoint the Rangers at the police station level if it is was finding it difficult to control the crime rate.

Federal Minister for IT and the leader of the MQM-P Syed Amin ul Haq said that after the 18th amendment, the provincial governments were autonomous and they were responsible for the affairs in their respective provinces. He said that the Sindh government got its due share from the NFC Award and the funds should be spent on development projects which create jobs. However, he alleged that 70 per cent of the funds allotted to the Sindh government were big misused by the corrupt elements and, therefore, no opportunities were being created for the youth. He alleged that jobs were being sold in Sindh province instead of getting filled on merit and this was creating frustration among the youth.

“In Bangladesh splendid progress has been made by developing its cottage industry,. So why can’t we do the same here to give employment to the younger people,” he questioned. He said that the government should promote and support the cottage industry so that the youth could be engaged and by following this measure, crime could also come down.

“On the other hand, the police is politicized and the officers are being exploited by the vested interests in Sindh government. This is a big another reason why the criminals and their patrons are roaming freely in the society,” said Ameen ul Haq.

Senator Shahi Syed, President of ANP Sindh, while talking to Bol News said police were a tool of the government who is posting the officers of their choice at will. “The government is responsible for the rising crime, unemployment and all other things.”

Some of the analysts recalled that the case of the former SSP Rao Anwar was an obvious example of political intervention. “He (Anwar) was posted in Malir and despite the allegations on him that he indulged in fake encounters, he was not transferred from his post,” they accused. “He was only removed from his post when he killed a youth Naqeebullah in January 2018 and there was much hue and cry over his murder.”

Shahi Syed claimed that the industry was already being destroyed in Karachi. Besides criminals, he said every department including electricity, gas, water, and police took bribe from businessmen and industrialist. “We’ve destroyed them and forced them to flee the country.”

“Similarly, we have destroyed education, the environment, everything in Karachi. Education used to be of high standard in this city but now it has been completely destroyed. There are no development project being undertaken to uplift the city. I am not talking about just Karachi. Tell me if Nawabshah or Larkana have been developed in anyway over the years. The government in the province is responsible for this mess and it has to clear it, no one else,” insisted Shahi Syed.

Suggesting some solutions, he said that the need of the hour is to correct the past mistakes and all political parties along with the government should sit together and assure the businessmen and the industrialists that a business-friendly atmosphere would be provided for them. “Secondly, we have to focus on improving the education standards which is vital for the progress.”

“In Sindh province, there are almost 100,000 vacancies in different departments, but the government is not appointing eligible candidates there,” said a political analyst requesting anonymity. He alleged that the government has been saving money by not filling in the vacant posts.  “Besides, there is only one cottage industry at the industrial park developed by the Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC) in Karachi in Baldia Town on a less than five acres of plot where more or less 30 units are functional.”

Managing Director SSIC, Najabullah Sahito however, refuted the allegations and said that the government had given more land to the SSIC near the Northern Bypass as well as at the small industrial estate near Makli which also fall in the Karachi region. “There are eleven small industrial estates in Hyderabad region alone, five in Sukkur region and three in Larkana region. So we are providing the youth with opportunities for employment.”

Actually if there was a will, there was a way, it seemed that the government didn’t want to mend the situation of the province, if they were willing to develop the province and control the street crime, they had to focus on minimizing the unemployment, the analysts concluded.