KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday demanded that the government issue licences to all those residents of Karachi who were willing to carry arms as both the administration and state had “failed” to ensure safety of the people.

The party also suspected that the recent surge in killing of citizens during robberies was not just a type of normal street crime but rather a ‘genocide’ in which bandits were mainly targeting the youth of the city.

Speaking at a press conference, senior MQM-P leader Syed Mustafa Kamal questioned the role of law-enforcement agency and criticised the performance of the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh.

Accompanied by the party legislators who were wearing face masks printed with the portraits of the victims of street crime in the city, the MQM-P leader said enough was enough and it was time for Karachiites to come forward and make arrangements of security on their own.

“We have decided to guard ourselves and our people. We are going to introduce mohalla committees through our MNAs and MPAs in their constituencies. We have done it in the past and we’re going to do it again to secure our streets and roads from street crime. We would be erecting barriers in the streets and introducing neighbourhood system for the security of residential areas,” he said.

Mr Kamal said the rise in street crime was “a deliberate conspiracy” and part of a larger scheme to economically exploit the residents of Karachi.

He demanded issuing arms license to the people of the city so that they could protect themselves as the law-enforcement agencies had failed to do so.

“You [law-enforcement agencies and the Sindh government] have failed miserably,” said Mr Kamal. “So issue arms licences and allow people to carry arms. Once you allow them to protect themselves on their own and carry arms, we would make no complaint. We would not lodge any protest,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2024