Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori called the Pakistan Peoples Party, which governs the province, and other political parties on Wednesday to reach a peace deal in the midst of the unsettling circumstances.
“Ready to go to whomsoever,” he told reporters in Karachi following Eid prayers.
In recent years, street violence has escalated in Karachi, and numerous civilians have died while fighting thefts. Furthermore, dacoits in riverine areas, commonly known as Katcha, have abducted many persons from the higher areas for ransom.
Officials informed the Sindh government last month that around 16,000 street crimes had been reported in the capital since January. Home Minister Zia Lanjar and IGP Riffat Mukhtar stated that 7,822 incidents of street crime were registered in the city in January 2024, 5,876 in February, and 2,234 in March (till March 12).
When questioned about the issue of dacoits in Punjab and Sindh’s border regions, PPP leader Khursheed Shah stated that it will be handled within a month.
Earlier this week, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan petitioned the Sindh High Court chief justice to expand Pakistan Rangers’ jurisdiction beyond Karachi to the whole province, citing the region’s deteriorating law and order situation.
Tessori said the dacoits were concerned about the Special Investment Facilitation Council, which he referred to as the “future of the country.” He went on to say that the hybrid civil-military forum should be in charge of maintaining law and order in the city.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who joined Tessori in praying, stated that the city’s peace and order had deteriorated during the previous six months, during which the caretaker administration ruled the province.
He also stated that the issue will be improved.
Maria Ghanchi