Karachi police book nearly 30 individuals over threats, vandalism during CBC protest

KARACHI: A case was registered against protesters after the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) officials accused more than two dozen of them of vandalism and issuing threats during a demonstration earlier this week over non-provision of amenities in the aftermath of August's torrential rains, police confirmed on Wednesday.

Officials at the Darakhshan police station said the first information report (FIR) includes charges of rioting and threatening, among others.

The CBC officials had earlier approached the police with a request to book protesters for attempting to enter their office, smashing windows, and vandalising property during Monday's protest in Karachi.

Related: Woes of DHA residents continue as streets remain inundated post Karachi rains

The nearly 30 unidentified protesters also issued threats, they had claimed.

Police sources had earlier said they had received the CBC officials' request to register a case, noting that they were recording statements in this regard.

Talks fall through

Protesters had gathered outside the CBC office on Monday to voice their anger over the non-provision of basic amenities following the torrential August rains but their negotiations with the authorities had failed, according to a representative of the residents' committee.

Speaking to the crowd gathered outside the CBC office, the woman representing the protesters told them the officials had not agreed to signing the demands on the board's letterhead. Consequently, the demonstrators dispersed from the site, vowing to return and protest outside the Defence Housing Authority's (DHA) office on Thursday.

Read more: Karachi protesters disperse after talks with CBC fall through

They did, however, manage to present their demands to the CBC office-bearers but the protesters' representative lamented that the concerned citizens had not been made part of the negotiations.

"We have demanded emergency be declared in the DHA and the CBC and that we will not pay taxes for five years," she had said.

During the protest, a large contingent of security officers, including police, were present to prevent any untoward event. While the CBC had sealed the gates of its office ahead of the demonstration, some of the protesters allegedly breached the premises; however, they were stopped by police.

'Most taxes', worst situation

Angry protesters held up placards and shouted slogans of "Go CBC Go!" and "Ghundagardi nahi chalegi [Thuggery won't be tolerated]" against the board. They demanded the CBC chief executive officer address them and listen to their grievances.

Protesters also demanded that an audit of the flood relief tax collected by the CBC be shared with them and called on the board's members to be held accountable for the lack of amenities provided to them over the years.

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The Citizens-Police Liaison Committee's (CPLC) former chief, Sharfuddin Memon, who was present on the side, told media that the CBC's performance "is zero" and that "the institution must be fixed".

"We pay the most taxes and our situation is the worst," Memon stated, adding that none of the streets or alleyways in Clifton and DHA had been cleared so far.

"People's houses and belongings have been destroyed," he added.

Gen Bajwa visits Karachi

On Tuesday, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had said the country's issue was not the non-availability of resources but setting priorities right.

According to a statement from the military's media wing, the army chief — who arrived in Pakistan's financial capital for a two-day long visit — was flown over the city for aerial reconnaissance of the urban flooding's ground impact.

Related: Army chief stresses on 'setting priorities right' in Karachi visit

Gen Bajwa was briefed about the worst urban flooding in the recent history of Karachi and the Army's support to civil administration across Sindh and Karachi.

He was also "apprised that unprecedented rains combined with decades of urban congestion, unplanned population settlement as well as infrastructural issues compounded the problem," the ISPR had said.

Military 'would not disappoint' people

"No city in Pakistan can cope with a natural calamity of this scale," the army chief had said. "The plans being made by the federal and provincial governments will have Army’s all-out support, as having future repercussions on the economic security of the country."

The army chief highlighted that this natural calamity had provided an opportunity to set the priority for the management of mega-cities across Pakistan to avoid such disasters in the future.

"At no point influence of a particular locality or community should be allowed to shift attention or resources from those in need. It's a national disaster and everyone is in it together," he had said. The military "would not disappoint" people in their time of need, he had added.