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‘Encounters raise your rishwat rate’
Mahim Maher
TFT Issue: 20 Jan 2018
What’s the beauty of an ‘encounter’ in a city like Karachi? It helps raise your rishwat rate.
This is what a former police officer, who has known the inner workings of the police economy in this city, said to explain this messy business. On Saturday, the high-profile policeman, SSP Malir Rao Anwar, was suspended and an inquiry was started over allegations that he killed a 27-year-old man from Waziristan in a ‘fake’ encounter last week in Usman Khaskheli Goth on the city’s outskirts. Protests erupted across the country for Naqeebullah Mehsud, who Rao Anwar claimed was affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
The important thing about an encounter is that it must come in the news. And indeed, in Karachi, crime reporters of all ilk, are keen to oblige as are their desk editors (myself including). When I was running the Karachi section at The Express Tribune, I often reasoned that we should put in news of ‘encounters’ as it would bring them ‘on the record’, which in some cases can help a family identify people who went missing but were killed. The problem with putting news of an encounter out there, however, is that it also ends up serving a dual dark purpose: It helps the copper spread his repuation as a killer to be feared.
The former police officer explained: If you kill and dump someone’s body in the sea or a gutter, and no one knows about it, it doesn’t help. It is only when it comes in the news that you are feared. Encounters help your market rate.
If an average cop picks someone up, they won’t get more than Rs100,000 to free the person. The problem in Karachi is that many businessmen do a dirty business and are therefore vulnerable because of their own ‘criminal’ activities. The cops take advantage of it. But if you kill and dump, that’s a different story.
“After Chaudhry Aslam died, Rao Anwar ne iss ka theka utha lya tha,” said the former officer. “People will pay you two crores because they know tumhari oopar se line fit hui he. No one will listen to your complaint.” So these kinds of policemen become above the law. The more encounters you do, the bigger the message you also send to groups like the TTP and BLA, he said. So you can demand more money to release people you have picked up.
The terrible part is that the entire system knows this is happening.
Rough background sketch
According to this former officer, Rao Anwar was a part of the Karachi operation against the MQM in 1992. During Jam Sadiq’s time, he had himself transferred to Quetta as cops were dropping dead after that. He stayed there until the PPP came to power. In 2007, he was an SHO in Quetta. He had himself posted back to Karachi and became the TPO of Keamari. A year later, he was promoted out of turn and became TPO Malir.
“The beauty of Malir is that it is non-surveyed land,” the former officer said. “Sara ghapla ye he keh Angrez survey nahi kar ke gae.” This meant that anyone could come with fake claims or documents and the mukhtiarkar could fit them in. “So, for example, I come along and squat on 20 acres. I give the cops money to let me do it. Six months down the line a more takri party comes and pays them off. The cops then kick the first guy out, qabza chura lete hain aur un se paise le lete hain.” That is how a lot of money was made. “Malir me ye game bohat chal rahi he.” The revenue department and police have benefitted the most from it.
The Police Order of 2002 says that no one can stay in one post more than three years. SSP Rao Anwar was in Malir for nine.
http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/encounters-raise-your-rishwat-rate/
Mahim Maher
What’s the beauty of an ‘encounter’ in a city like Karachi? It helps raise your rishwat rate.
This is what a former police officer, who has known the inner workings of the police economy in this city, said to explain this messy business. On Saturday, the high-profile policeman, SSP Malir Rao Anwar, was suspended and an inquiry was started over allegations that he killed a 27-year-old man from Waziristan in a ‘fake’ encounter last week in Usman Khaskheli Goth on the city’s outskirts. Protests erupted across the country for Naqeebullah Mehsud, who Rao Anwar claimed was affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
The important thing about an encounter is that it must come in the news. And indeed, in Karachi, crime reporters of all ilk, are keen to oblige as are their desk editors (myself including). When I was running the Karachi section at The Express Tribune, I often reasoned that we should put in news of ‘encounters’ as it would bring them ‘on the record’, which in some cases can help a family identify people who went missing but were killed. The problem with putting news of an encounter out there, however, is that it also ends up serving a dual dark purpose: It helps the copper spread his repuation as a killer to be feared.
The former police officer explained: If you kill and dump someone’s body in the sea or a gutter, and no one knows about it, it doesn’t help. It is only when it comes in the news that you are feared. Encounters help your market rate.
If an average cop picks someone up, they won’t get more than Rs100,000 to free the person. The problem in Karachi is that many businessmen do a dirty business and are therefore vulnerable because of their own ‘criminal’ activities. The cops take advantage of it. But if you kill and dump, that’s a different story.
“After Chaudhry Aslam died, Rao Anwar ne iss ka theka utha lya tha,” said the former officer. “People will pay you two crores because they know tumhari oopar se line fit hui he. No one will listen to your complaint.” So these kinds of policemen become above the law. The more encounters you do, the bigger the message you also send to groups like the TTP and BLA, he said. So you can demand more money to release people you have picked up.
The terrible part is that the entire system knows this is happening.
Rough background sketch
According to this former officer, Rao Anwar was a part of the Karachi operation against the MQM in 1992. During Jam Sadiq’s time, he had himself transferred to Quetta as cops were dropping dead after that. He stayed there until the PPP came to power. In 2007, he was an SHO in Quetta. He had himself posted back to Karachi and became the TPO of Keamari. A year later, he was promoted out of turn and became TPO Malir.
“The beauty of Malir is that it is non-surveyed land,” the former officer said. “Sara ghapla ye he keh Angrez survey nahi kar ke gae.” This meant that anyone could come with fake claims or documents and the mukhtiarkar could fit them in. “So, for example, I come along and squat on 20 acres. I give the cops money to let me do it. Six months down the line a more takri party comes and pays them off. The cops then kick the first guy out, qabza chura lete hain aur un se paise le lete hain.” That is how a lot of money was made. “Malir me ye game bohat chal rahi he.” The revenue department and police have benefitted the most from it.
The Police Order of 2002 says that no one can stay in one post more than three years. SSP Rao Anwar was in Malir for nine.
http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/encounters-raise-your-rishwat-rate/
