Karachi has been engulfed in pain and agony over the past many years. Murder and mayhem, kidnapping and car snatching, dacoity and burglary, are all tragic factors in this metropolis’ daily events. The presence of uniformed law-enforcing agencies, the high profile table talk of political forces, and the vociferous concern of people affected by these consequences have still not been able to inject any dose of tranquility in the city’s streets and homes. In these trying times, there is one organization that has proved to be a flicker of hope, a streak of sunshine, and a ray of cheer, for the Karachiites. The Citizen-Police Liaison Committee has been a boon and a blessing.

Unfortunately, like the virulent campaign against Good Samaritans, such as Maulana Edhi, the CPLC too has been subjected to negative criticism from elements inimical to the very existence of this organization. Inspite of this venomous brouhaha, the dedicated volunteers of CPLC, who are all respected industrialists and businessmen, have braved this tempest and have continued to be guardian angels for the denizens of this sprawling city. Notwithstanding this sad attitude, there are times when the anti-CPLC sectors take sadistic pleasure from attempting to denigrate or discredit the volunteers of CPLC.

One such instance needs to be mentioned and highlighted. On June 7, 1998, a car being rashly driven at breakneck speed by an inebriated young man hit a motorbike from the rear on Shaheed-e-Millat Road. The driver abandoned the injured motorbike rider and fled from the scene thus compounding his criminal negligence. The police registered a case and the Motor Vehicle Inspector Report clearly established that the motorbike had been hit from the rear, and the condition of the car showed that it was being driven at very high speed. Next day, the victim, Faysal Iqbal, died on account of severe injuries sustained in this accident. The Tipu Sultan Police Station added section 320 of the Qisas & Diyat Ordinance to the FIR since the victim’s death had been caused by rash and negligent driving. Muhammad Yasir, the car driver, was arrested and later bailed out after the concerned magistrate confirmed the bail.

On June 9, Farooq Azam Paracha, the Regional Chairman of the Pakistan Tea Association, wrote to the CPLC voicing his apprehension that the person responsible for the accident might escape justice due to his influence with relevant authorities. He requested CPLC to ensure that justice is done. Thereafter, both the parties were called to the CPLC East offices for a joint meeting where Yasir’s father admitted his son’s guilt and responsibility, and pleaded with the victim’s relatives to forgive his son. He also agreed to compromise the matter in accordance with the provisions of the Qisas & Diyat Ordinance. Later the two parties met without CPLC volunteers, and the family of the accused agreed that Yasir would spend four months with a Tableeghi Jamaat and also pay a sum of Rupees 270,000 as Diyat which would be handed over to a third party to spend on a public welfare project like a mosque. or for installing water taps in an impoverished locality. This agreement was a magnanimous gesture on the part of the victim’s family and it was appreciated and encouraged by CPLC.

Alas, the accused and his father reneged on the compromise agreement and are now using their power and influence to wriggle out of this responsibility of causing the death of a young man. At the same time, steps were taken to discredit the CPLC and throw people off the track by initiating a vicious campaign against the District Chief of CPLC, East, Mr Azhar Elahi. The organized attack is charted to portray the CPLC volunteers as people who are out to make money out of people’s grief and torment.

Mr Azhar Elahi is a dedicated industrialist and social worker and it is due to his devotion and concern that he was appointed the Chief of CPLC East. He is a former Chairman of the Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association and has been instrumental in promoting the cause of thousands of apparel exporters at domestic and international forums. He has been wrongly and unjustly accused of demanding bribes from the accused and of threatening his family to convert the FIR to Section 302.

This allegation is the height of absurdity and it is a blatant attempt to defame the CPLC and its volunteers. This type of negative propaganda is meant to ensure that the accused comes out smelling like a rose while at the same time to demoralize and dishearten the volunteers and destroy the hard-earned credibility of CPLC. Luckily, Jameel Yousuf, the vocal and principled Chief of CPLC, has condemned this malicious campaign and has began steps to guarantee that justice is done to the victim’s family, to ensure that the accused is held responsible for his crime, and to assure that CPLC volunteers continue to perform their tasks with zeal, devotion, and determination. Justice will surely be done to the victim . . . in this planet and in the eternal world.

Sincerely: