KARACHI - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Friday expressed concern over the alleged stereotyping and racial profiling of Pakhtuns throughout the country, especially Karachi.

Addressing a press conference at Insaf House in Karachi, PTI Sindh President Dr Arif Alvi, who was accompanied by party leaders Firdous Naqvi, Khawand Bakhsh Jahejo and others, said that police arrested Pakhtuns in numerous incidents over the last few days and then released them after taking bribes. This is a deplorable situation and it is totally against the spirit of the federation of Pakistan, he said.

PTI leaders said that Sindh police officials had admitted during discussions with party leaders that they could not stop this phenomenon. They said that racial profiling was being condemned throughout the world, as people were being targeted on the basis of their religion, ethinicity or origin. They said that Pakistan had gone through many ethnic tensions and such an attitude at the official level had led to dismemberment of the country in 1971. The Sindh also suffered when the law enforcement agencies started harassing innocent Sindhis or Urdu-speaking people instead of going after criminals and terrorists, they said.

When such issues are ignited, they said, the deprived people focus on their racial and ethnic origins instead of focusing on the real issues like corruption and exploitation. They said the PTI had the understanding of the security concerns of the people of the country. They however condemned stereotyping of Pakistanis in the garb of enhanced security measures.

PTI leaders pointed out that millions of computerised national identity cards had been issued to Afghans and now genuine Pakistani Pakhtuns living outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were being harassed before renewal of their ID cards. This is a serious problem in Karachi and Pakhtuns are paying bribes to get their ID cards renewed. On this occasion, Dr Alvi demanded that the government take measures to put an end to this practice otherwise it would be very difficult for it to control the situation.  Furthermore, Dr Arif Alvi condemned the police action against Khawand Bakhsh Jahejo, president of the PTI for the Hyderabad Region. He said the PPP was on a mission to coerce, bribe, pressurise and terrorise the opposition groups as part of its efforts to make them succumb to its “wicked plan”. Those who refuse to bow to them face police action, he said. The PTI condemns the Sindh Police and the PPP led provincial government on this issue and urges immediate withdrawal of cases, he said.

Our Staff Reporter