Posts tagged: security

Police Demand Bribe to Remove an Abandoned Vehicle - What Security?

An Open Letter to The Chief Minister and Home Minister of Sindh;

After watching your numerous representatives come on television and talk about how law and order is your first priority, I would like to bring to your attention a case of police incompetence that I got to take part in last night. 

I have family that lives on Khayban-e-Shujaat in Defence Karachi. In front of their home, someone parked a car (AAK 272) and left it, telling the chowkidars around the house that they had permission from the people who live there. The car has been there since 8 pm last night. 

Now here is where the story gets fun. The police were called to come and remove the car, since the home owners have not given anyone permission to park there. Our Karachi Police showed up and promptly reported that the vehicle was clean, not involved in any murders nor stolen and if we wanted the car removed, we have to pay for the lifter to come and remove it.

While waiting for the police to arrive, friends at the Naval Housing Society called to let us know that there had been a major robbery in the area and the robbers were waiting inside the home for the people to come back. 

At the same time, we called the Chief Minister’s House complaint line and made the same complaint, only to get no action. 

This morning, the car still stands there. I have spoken to the police and Chief Minister’s house, neither willing to take any action. The last update that I got was that the police were on the scene now but had again repeated their demand for payment to remove the car.

So it is clear to us now. If we are willing to give the police “chai paani,” then our citizens will be kept secure; otherwise, we have no right to security.

Democracy at its finest.

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How will next U.S. administration engage Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Guest blogger Roy Kamphausen is the director and vice president for political and security affairs of the Washington Office of the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR).

An issue that came up often in Monday’s NBR-sponsored debate on U.S.-Asian relations in the next administration was the question of instability in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Both campaigns talked about the importance of addressing the terrorist haven that has developed in the tribal areas of Pakistan along the border with Afghanistan. This would allow the United States to reduce the number of cross-border attacks into Afghanistan and the accompanying danger posed to the United States and to the Pakistan by the presence of these terrorists. There was agreement that more funding for infrastructure projects, training for Afghan security forces and more U.S. and NATO troops are needed in Afghanistan, although they differed on how many and what type, and on what compromises might have to be made in U.S. military commitments in Iraq.

The Obama/Biden camp argued Bush and McCain had not taken the Afghanistan problem seriously several years ago, and that the Bush administration is now making a last attempt to kill or capture Bin Laden by attacking targets within Pakistan, an action that has drawn Pakistani fire. These actions, they argued, threaten to undermine the new civilian government in Pakistan as well as the larger U.S.-Pakistan relationship. Read more »

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