Karachi violence: Mini armoured cars being imported

Ikram Hoti
ISLAMABAD: To launch an all-out attack on terrorists operating from and hiding in the narrow streets of Karachi, the government plans to import 50 mini armoured vehicles with special features, sources told The News.

The most important item, they said, to be purchased out of the Rs5 billion offered to the Sindh government last month, would be these small but speedy and shield-metal cars.

While several attempts to seek confirmation from Interior Minister Rehman Malik did not succeed, officials said purchase of these armoured cars shows that there is a decisive seriousness on the part of the federal government to enable Sindh authorities to enter areas where the hideouts of the target killers and other terrorists remain inapproachable.

The most special of these features would be its being smart in that it would be able to enter the narrow streets of Karachi. To be imported shortly, these vehicles would be bullet and bombproof, and fitted with jammers and guns that could be operated from inside the cover of the metallic body.

When asked if special training would be required for driving-operating these vehicles, the sources said there already exists a US-Pakistan cooperation for security enhancement in Pakistani towns and such training is an integral part of this cooperation.

The vehicles would ensure quick information delivery from police headquarters to the operators assigned duties on these vehicles outside the suspect streets of Karachi city. The sources did not specify as to when the first batch of such vehicles would be arriving in Pakistan, but reassured that once the Sindh government launches the arrangements for opening the Letter of Credit and award of contract to suppliers, no time would be wasted in delivery.