Karachi worries me

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 4:36 PM Share

At least two dozen people were killed in riots in Karachi yesterday. I suspect we are going to be hearing a lot more about this city over the next year or so, and that very little of it will be good.

These are the headlines this morning in Dawn of Pakistan's daily e-mail summary of the news. Remember, this is just one day:

25 lives lost 20 vehicles torched Altaf appeals for peace: Widespread violence afflicts Karachi
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By Tahir Siddiqui
KARACHI, April 29: At least 25 people were killed . . . .
Forces regain control of Daggar
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By Abdur Rahman Abid & Haleem Asad
BUNER / TIMERGARA, April 29: Army's helicopter-borne units landed in Daggar, the Buner district headquarters . . .
‘Shoot at sight' orders issued
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By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, April 29: The Minister of State for Ports and Shipping, Nabeel Gabol, has said that Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Home Minister Zulfiqar Ali Mirza have issued ‘shoot at sight' orders to security forces in Karachi. . . .
18 of 70 kidnapped security men recovered: ISPR
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By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, April 29: Military spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said at a press briefing here. . . .
Magsi urges urgent steps to save Balochistan
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By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, April 29: Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi warned on Wednesday that the situation in the province . . . .
Police party ambushed on motorway
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By Yaqoob Malik
"Around 30 militants hiding behind trees ambushed the patrol vehicle and fired a rocket-propelled grenade . . . ."

Ai yi yi.

[sic!]ut.at/flickr

EXPLORE:SOUTH ASIA, PAKISTAN, SECURITY

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MARCOS EL MALO

10:45 PM ET

April 30, 2009

Police as targets

In Dave Killcullen's recent testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, he spoke of the need to give much more support to the Pakistani police forces and less to the military.

The Taliban seems to focus a lot of effort on directly attacking the police and not so much on the Pakistan Army. Obviously, a major reason for this might be because of the relative weakness of the police (as Killcullen noted in his testimony), but a cynic can't help but wonder if this isn't also part of Pakistan Army policy.