Karachi Dakus

I am not talking about the store this time.... I'm talkin bout the real deal.  Karachi is a shady place. It doesn't matter if you live in Defense, or Clifton, which are the neighborhoods where the well-off middle class predominate.  That probably just put you at greater risk for being targeted, and obligates the need for better security!  Things like robberies, car jackings, and even the occasional violent acts are not rare.  It may be the most liberal and cosmopolitan city, but also seems to hold enough crime, drugs, and violence (both political and non), to make it not particularly "safe".  In fact, a cousin of mine and his wife had a pretty scary experience happen to them just last week...

They are newly married, and were already living in Karachi for few months.  They got a new apartment somewhere in Defense (or was it Clifton?), and they were in the process of moving in.   There is no guard, only a locked gate in this complex.  They were going back and forth from their truck, moving stuff in throughout the day.  Then at some point, a few guys slipped in through the gate, and went up into their apartment, which was left open as they were moving things in.  Clearly they were watching and waiting for their moment of attack.  So they barge in with guns drawn. I think like 3 or 4 of them (I'll call them the "Dakus").  Drunk as hell, vodka in hand.  For the next 2 or 3 hrs they were basically fucking with their heads.  They poured the booze all over them, and made them drink the vodka. Especially my cousin's wife, getting them drunk and asking them all kinds of weird questions trying to get more information out.  Luckily my cuz kept his cool during the whole situation, and abided best they could.  They then made them cook food for them! While they sat there, looking around the house, seeing what they could take. Then the neighbor got suspicious, because the gate was left open, and lots of noise was coming.  As he knocked, they didn't answer, but he continued later on. So the Dakus locked my cuz and his wife in the bathroom and went to deal with him...  In the bathroom my cousin called his sister (luckily he had his phone!) in Islamabad, who told their dad, who promptly called the authorities.  Cuz also tried to break out of the bathroom window, but even if he had, he was a few stories up!   While this is happening, the Dakus answer the door, and there stands the neighbor. Wondering who the hell is this guy? He starts abusing them, cursing them off.  He also happened to be an ex-cop, so he had this tough-guy persona going on.  After some arguing, the Daku pulled out his gun, and shot him twice!!  Insanity!!  Ex-cop goes down, his wife comes in screaming later.  After all this, the Dakus realized it was time to go.  So they took everything they could.  All the jewelry, diamonds, and everything else they could grab (all the post-wedding stuff had not been locked away yet).  They took watches, cash, even my cousin's brand new suits!  They took and they ran.  Authorities came later.  I doubt anyone will ever get caught....

A scary ass situation, but thank god they are ok!  Keeping his cool saved them both I think.  The fact that they shot the neighbor, means one slip up, and these trigger happy felons would not hesitate.  I thought to myself what if my cousin had a gun? (Like a lot of Pakis do in the house).  That could have been a REAL bad situation, if shit went down, and shots were exchanged. How scary is that? Goes to show perhaps having a gun may do more harm than protection....  I guess this tells you, gotta have security guards. With Guns.  Though from what I hear, even some of those agencies organize inside jobs.  So what is one to do? Get private security. Or leave nothing valuable in the house or apt. 

Comments

[Salacious Samosa]

It really shakes you up when something like this happens so close to home eh? I'm so sorry.

I heard your cousin's story through the grapevine a week or so ago, or this may have been another one. Something about a new building in clifton where dakus got in and tried to get everyone drunk and took off with the jewelery. But the version I heard had something about the dakus taking a member of the family with them and dumping him somewhere in Karachi later, alive thank God. Might be the same gang of people.

Karachi is a scary place, even though I call it home. My cousin went back for the winter hols, instead of enjoying the time back has been sitting at the Gulgee place after their tragedy. We had a similar one 7 years ago, shook us up so bad we all can't get over it. Hope the neighbour made it through.

S