KARACHI - In a drive against the outlaws, the law enforcers are removing the barricades fixed by the residents across the City to minimise criminal activities.
According to details, the law-enforcement agencies have started targeted operations across the city following the directives of the Supreme Court to eliminate no-go areas.
However, the citizens show serious concern over the removal of barriers and asking to ensure their security before the removal of barricades.
Karachiites urged that law enforcers should first wipe out the criminals instead of removing the barricades.
Talking to TheNation, the residents of various localities revealed that a proportional increase in street crimes enhanced the trend of barriers, the measure that helped reduce the criminal activities.
Ayazuddin, a resident of Block 10, said that they had maintained security of the whole area by erecting barricades and hiring private security guards that resulted in almost 90 percent decline in the street crime.
He also pointed out that such security arrangements considerably increased the value of the property as compared to other adjoining areas.
Police officials of the Federal-B Industrial Area have suggested the residents’ committees to remove the barriers by themselves before the operation from Rangers.
A Landhi resident, Tariq Jamshaid pointed out that though rangers was conducting operations and removing barriers in various areas of the Landhi but no action had yet been seen in some specific areas, including 36/E Landhi.
He argued that if security could be increased by the removal of barricades then why they were still fixed outside the police stations and rangers’ headquarters.
Paradoxically, barriers are not being removed from most posh areas where high-profiled personalities reside.
The barricades also help reduces chances of clashes in localities divided on ethnic and religious grounds such as Lyari, its rrounding areas, North Karachi, Orangi Town and adjacent localities.
Khurram Memon, a resident of Kharader, said that the barriers were installed to protect the residents from Lyari gangsters while Rangers action only against barriers would further increase the security threats.
Expressing concern, he said that gangsters used to bring men in the main markets and killed them in front of residents but the Rangers and police failed to take action against them rather it was removing the barriers.
The residents of North Karachi, Orangi Town and others believed that barricades provided protection against the criminals having safe haven in hill-top areas of the localities.
Political, religious and highly insecure minorities, residing in various localities of the metropolis, had barricaded their headquarters, worship places and residents because of the terrorist threats.
The residents of various areas demanded that authorities must ensure maintenance of law and order and provide security to the citizens.