KARACHI:
Recently, a sweeper from a municipal committee was allegedly attacked by a group of young men belonging to a ruling party in Johi town. He was hit by a pistol butt that caused serious injuries to his head. The police refused to register an FIR. When the relatives of the victims blocked the Johi-Dadu road in protest, the police arrived and asked the protesters to end the sit-in immediately, threatening them with an action. The heir of the injured refused to end their sit-in unless an FIR was registered and the criminals arrested. Subsequently, the police, reportedly, registered an FIR due to the pressure from a group of conscious citizens and political activists that joined the protest. Following this, the father of the accused, a literary and politically active person, apologised and offered compensation.
The sweeper community is one of the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in Johi. Although Muslims, they are discriminated based on their profession. As far as the Johi and Dadu police are concerned, they have completely subordinated themselves to the powerful and influential people, who in turn are also connected with criminal gangs. Thus, despite frequent transfer of SSPs, crime rate in the region is spiking and sense of insecurity among the residents is prevalent. To prevent anarchy like this, the provincial government and law enforcement agencies must seriously start working on the law and order situation of the region, and shift the power from the powerful to the powerless.
Gulsher Panhwer
Johi
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2024.
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