1,366 arrested in ongoing targeted operation in Pakistan's Karachi

Pakistan Rangers arrested at least 1,366 people during the last 12 days of ongoing targeted operation that they launched in the country's violence-hit southern port city of Karachi against terrorists, target killers, kidnappers and extortionists, local media and official said on Tuesday.

Local media quoting Rangers spokesman said that they had arrested 19 suspects on Tuesday during operations conducted in Chanesar Goth and Shah Faisal town of Karachi, bringing the tally of arrested people to 1,366 in 736 targeted operations.

Rangers also recovered heavy cache of weapons including automatic guns, pistols and hand grenades from the possession of the detained people from different hideouts located in the Green Town, Rasheedabad, Taiser town, North Karachi, Quaid-i-Azam colony and North Nazimabad areas of Karachi.

The targeted operation was launched after a special cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Karachi on Sept. 4 that approved the targeted operation to deal with the deteriorating law and order situation in the business hub of the country.

Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, before launching the operation, briefed media that a list of around 450 criminals had been finalized with the help of intelligence reports and action would be taken against them and their aids.

All the arrested people were shifted to different undisclosed locations for the interrogation while only a few of them were brought before the courts for legal procedure.

Analysts said that since the start of the operation at large scale, a visible improvement has been observed in the law and order situation of the city.

According to human rights groups, over 2,000 people were killed in different kinds of attacks during the first eight months of the current year.

The action was taken after a raise in daily incidents of target killings, kidnapping for ransom and extortion that badly affected business activities in Karachi, a city with over 20 million population.

Official reports say that dozens of leading businessmen have shifted their business and families to other countries due to life insecurity in the city.

A joint investigation report by the intelligence agencies revealed that most of the killings take place in the result of political, religious and ethnic confrontation between various rival groups and mafias in the city. The report also said that major political parties of the country have their militant wings that they use to control the black money and politics of the city.