Civil society recommends deweaponization of Karachi

Civil society activists said that there should be 'zero tolerance' for criminals in the society. -AFP File Photo

KARACHI: Activists of civil society and businessmen have called for a one point agenda, a complete deweaponization of the city to control the ongoing target killing in Karachi.

They are strongly advocating for combing the city to rid it of weapons and ammunition.

Deweaponization should be across the board and all over the city to get rid of the recurrence of violence in the economic hub of the country.

They also called upon political parties not to patronize and protect criminals within their ranks.

A prominent lawyer and President Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) Zia Ahmad Awan said that all the arms licenses should be canceled and all the illegal weapons should be recovered across the board.

The transportation, supply and availability of both legal and illegal weapons is the biggest problem of Karachi. We should recover all of it, he added.

Besides, the criminals should be treated as criminals irrespective of party affiliations and sympathies. Everybody who has committed a crime should be taken to the task, he said.

Mrs. Ali Bhai, General Secretary of Shehri, an NGO for a better environment, said that deweaponization of the metropolis is the only solution to curb the violence and target killings.

She said that political parties should be impartial and speak the truth when it comes to the action against criminals and maintaining law and order in the city.

They should not be supporting criminals and avoid pressurizing the law enforcers to temper the cases. They should not try to influence the interrogation process, she noted.

She said that there should be zero tolerance for criminals in the society.

Former president Karachi Chamb! er of Co mmerce and Industry (KCCI) Abdul Majeed Haji Mohammad (rpt Abdul Majeed Haji Mohammad) also strongly recommended for a complete deweaponization to stop the recurrence of target killings and violence in Karachi.