Randomness
I know Karachi is perfectly safe place to live in and that is exactly what our ministers remind us in their T.V./News paper interviews. Perhaps it’s the same reason there is never a week when I don’t hear one or two mobile snatching stories at least, from people I know. Yes not from news but the real people I know.
Here is another one for you, a colleague was going on a night shift in a rickshaw on shahra-e-faisal when another rickshaw came close by and a guy jumped in his (okay I admit it must have been a nice stunt jumping from one moving rickshaw to another). Then his mobile phone and wallet was snatched on a gun point. Later, I came to find out he was not the first, few months back similar incident happened to another person when he was going on a night shift.
Two things I wonder about, first, the stunt, was it really necessary risking your life to snatch a mobile? I am sure he could have done it a lot more easily the way these things happen. Second, later the incident became something to amuse about rather then a terrible situation. This tells me how ridiculously we are used to of such horrible incidents when someone you know was at a gun point just few hours back.
In another note, I went to Sajjad’s last night and it always surprises me to see the crowed. I mean, its not even a weekend and the place was jam packed. To eat out, karachitte’s can go to any possible limit. Ahh well, if I must mention, I didn’t like the food much.
Also, I will bet you money both the rickshaw driver that gave your friend a ride was in on the whole thing.
I think it is Bhaiyya party who had found another way to snatch money from public.
Why can’t our politicians do something like this for karachittes
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5071040.stm
Please don’t start discrimination bit again. When you ask for bribe from normal shopkeepers and businessmen who you are discriminating?
Karachi is kidnapped, hijacked and raped by every the government and opposition alike. Current government has the tendency to loot by collecting kickbacks and commissions, part of which goes abroad. I am sure they are getting hefty percentage in all ‘development’ contracts issued in the city.
A neighbour told us that they were going somewhere in their new car when they were stopped and asked at gun point to hand over stuff. The guy gave his wallet and phone and then said ‘yaar, muhajir ho kar muhajiron ka khayal nahi kartay’ (something similiar) – he got a ‘sorry’ and his stuff was given back to him.
Kashif, Your friend was lucky.
Few months ago some guys came with guns in my parents house and demanded my Mom “Amma! give us your bangles”. My sis. being a teenager said “Well, what kind of son asks his mother for bangles?”. They replied to my Mom “Amma we are jobless and noone helping us. We have sisters to be wed”. My Mom happily obliged and later proudly told everyone how she helped them to end their suffering.
Don’t laugh, my Mom is a very loving lady. My Dad and brother weren’t home at that time.
Karachi is kidnapped, hijacked and raped by every the government and opposition alike.
Because they always aligned with regional politicans who has no saying in national matters. First they voted to Jamat e Islami and then MQM (ex Jamati). I am not against regional parties but their cause doesn’t go vey far. If people are become one force then they can make their leaders to have a pact with national party, so our voice could be heard nationally.
Kashif, Your friend was lucky.
Few months ago some guys came with guns in my parents’ house and demanded my Mom “Amma! give us your bangles”. My sis. being a teenager said “Well, what kind of son asks his mother for bangles?”. They replied to my Mom “Amma we are jobless and noone helping us. We have sisters to be wed”. My Mom happily obliged and later proudly told everyone how she helped them to end their suffering.
Don’t laugh, my Mom is a very loving lady and she cant see anyone in pain. My Dad and brother weren’t home at that time.
Karachi is kidnapped, hijacked and raped by every the government and opposition alike.
Because they always aligned with regional politicans who has no saying in national matters. First they voted to Jamat e Islami and then MQM (ex Jamati). I am not against regional parties but their cause doesn’t go vey far. If people are become one force then they can make their leaders to have a pact with national party, so our voice could be heard nationally.
@Mariam: How can we become one force when we are constantly divided by language and religion since last 58 years. We do not have a single sincere and honest person in existign leadership and our institutions have been systematically corrupted.
We need a revolution, be it french or chinese.
I think it is Bhaiyya party who had found another way to snatch money from public.
No *outsiders* were also caught by police in recent exercises.
here outsiders means non-karachiites.
i once jumped from a running rickshaw on a huge pile of sand on the side of the road . i thought it would be a lot of fun, and it was . thought i’d share with ya’all.
O btw ..good evening everyone.
love, peace and rus malai
Vader, the Dark Sith
I think we all have heard about this incident that took place couple of years back when the owner of a car showroom shot dead two men who approached him to snatch his Land Cruiser near Clifton (old Emirates roundabout). A good thing he had done!! Bravo… but alas not everyone can do that :(
Recently some teenagers had also started snatching mobile phones for fun (when this snatching trend was new) and two of them lost their lives when they were shot dead by a guy who they approached to snatch his cell. Some say the guy was a policeman, some said he was from bhaiyya party..
Risky games!!
A friend told me an interesting solution to the moblie snatching problem. He said if someone somes to snatch your phone, throw it on the ground, break it and run, tht way he doesnt get it and you might be able to get away too. He tried it and he got away fine.
Also make noise and draw ppl to urself when ur in such a situation.
I do understand the frustration everyone has been going through. I am not sure who to blame for that. But as far as the snatching and other law-and-order situation goes, guys that is a norm for a city like Karachi where :
More than 9 million people of diverse ethnic and political backgrounds live
Most of the revenue/tax is generated for Pakistan but very little is returned back for the development in the city
The relatives of Zameendars from interior Sindh and Malik’s from Punjab get all of the Govt. jobs (A Karachiite can’t job even in Karachi – they might just shove their Karachi domicile where sun never shines)
Politicians use this city as their staging ground for protests and flexing their muscles (Just curious, why don’t they fuck around in Islamabad or Lahore?)
Racial intollerance is at peak where people from different ethnicities can’t live together in happiness
By the way, read the following article to see what our politicians have been doing:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/miscellaneous/story/2006/06/060615_hasan_column_sq.shtml
The only thing that comes to my mind is a quote which is sooooooooo true:If you want peace, work for justice
Also make noise and draw ppl to urself when ur in such a situation.
A FRIENDLY ADVISE FOR BETTER LIFE SECURITY
Dear friends… Let me tell you a couple of things as per my observations and experiences in regards of this snatching thing.. these snatchers are scared like sissys… and they don’t like a lot of people attention… you create panic.. they’ll KILL you… they have guns and will use it if they find themselves in danger of being caught…
so my friendly advise is to NEVER make the senario too loud… the poeple all around you, on the roads or anywhere WILL NEVER RISK their own lives to save you… and poliece… Ah!!! forget it!!!!… if you are in a middle of something like that, one thing you should and MUST do is to Stay calm… give them what they want… and try not to negociate with them… EVERY ONE of them has their particular psychology… you need not to discover that… believe me…
now let me tell you what i’ve been doing… It has been 3 years now since i’ve started to keep a cell phone with me… and MashaAllah say i’m never ever been robbed. the main question is WHY? you might be thinking i must have had the Nokia 3310 with me .. or some 1 foot in lenght cell phone with long antena… NO… i have been using 3310, 2300, 6600, 1100, Samsung X200, and now i have Nokia 6103, plus i also had a Keocera CDMA set… which i’m planning to switch with a Motorolla 3G phone (CDMA-based) form canada. But why? again the question is … the thing is that i ALWAYS KEEP MY EYES OPEN ON THE ROAD… i try to MAXIMIZE my observation in all 4 direction.. i try to have a look at EVERY person passing by… [not to mention the girls ;-)] i do this because i’ll know who is where and what is he trying to do… my question.. have you ever SEEN a person and after sometime he comes and snatches your mobile? no they come out of no where and go out to no where… and that is the bottom line.. also if they see you that you have seen them i bet they will never InshaAllah try to approach you and steal things from you… what i do is to stare at the persom whose intension i feel are not too decent, with some look that they have never seen… i don’t stare them with anger.. coz that might piss them off… i just stare the person who stares at me with absolutely NO FEAR… and that type of eyes are your primary defense weapon so…
1. Keep your eyes open
2. Try to maximize your observation
3. Try the primary defense weapon frequently
4. NEVER make it too noisy
5. NEVER RUM
6. DON’T TALK
7. Stay Calm
8. Do what ever they say
9. (last but the most important one) ALWAYS stay reminded of the ONE who has your life thread.
I hope the above points will definitely InshaAllah help you guys in staying out of harms way… Also please try to explain all this to your friends. to keep them safe as well.