Crime Down in Karachi, Paramilitary in Pakistan Shifts Focus

Paramilitary is a funny word. On the one hand the definition is so vague it includes things like Hitler Youth and the Minutemen in America, on the other hand its a license to invade countries you aren't at war with and commit crimes for your government without them knowing you are doing it (See Special Activities Division.) And in this case the military in question isn't hiding its immorality particularly well. Many reports say that the Sindh Rangers in Pakistan have "reduced" the crime in Karachi, but paramilitary outfits gonna paramiltiary. So the Sindh Rangers have been engaging in politics in the only way they know how. They go after the politicians who aren't too fond of the military gaining political influence in Pakistan. They strike using the only methods they were trained to, violence and intimidation. 

The article is quite long, but in particular has a lot to say about the Sindh Rangers going after a political party known as Muttahida Qaumi Movement (M.Q.M). An interesting turn of events has transpired because the military has justified its actions by saying the MQM is a militant organization with a political wing, as opposed to the other way around. This effectively makes them seem like the good guys for stopping violent political ideologies, but the irony is lost on some. The article quotes a local merchant who, tired of the political shenanigans, appreciates the practical effects of having such a show of force against the organized criminals and the Taliban groups to be found in Karachi. 


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/08/world/asia/crime-down-in-karachi-paramilitary-in-pakistan-shifts-focus.html?ref=world

Stuart Young