|
Attack on army men
[DAWN] NEUTRALISING violent elements in Bloody Karachi...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... was never going to be an easy task, given the fact that for years, the state has looked away as such elements entrenched themselves within the bustling metropolis. Hence while the operation launched just over two years ago to rid Karachi of murderous Moslems, bully boyz and criminal gangs has witnessed some successes, it'll be some time before the state can proclaim 'mission accomplished'. The fact that law enforcers and military personnel are particularly vulnerable to retaliatory action was reinforced on Tuesday when two army men were killed on the arterial M.A. Jinnah Road in broad daylight. For those unfamiliar with Karachi's geography, this is perhaps the city's busiest and most congested thoroughfare, which points to the audacity and confidence with which the attackers carried out the act. Police officials have said it is a planned attack, though only a full investigation will reveal whether this was the case, or if the soldiers -- who were in uniform and travelling in a military vehicle -- were victims of an opportunistic hit. What is clear is that the murdered men were travelling without back-up, even though military personnel are supposed to move with support. Men in uniform have been targeted in other attacks as well; most recently four Rangers' troopers were killed in an armed attack while over 75 coppers have been killed in the city this year. While the space for bully boyz and criminals has certainly been "considerably constrained" in the words of the city police chief, it is apparent that violent elements still have just enough space to hit back at the state. The truth is that in Karachi, there is a complex mixture of political, sectarian and ethnic murderous Moslems, along with active criminal syndicates. Posted by: Fred 2015-12-04 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=437506 |