Security concerns at Karachi Fish Harbour have again peaked, as the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority [KFHA] is now looking for new security arrangement to improve the current poor law and order. The rising cases of theft at gunpoint, particularly after sunset, at the harbour have compelled the Authority to seek some permanent solution to enhance the state of internal and external security, sources told Business Recorder on Monday.
"The Authority and other fisheries concerned non-governmental bodies are receiving scores of complaints on daily basis about forced theft of the fishermen and boat owners," they said. There was a private security firm, which qualified a one-year contract but failed to fulfil the primary conditions. The Authority became upset over the rise in thefts and other security lapses, which finally resulted in cancellation of the contract, sources said.
The contract was signed late in December last year, while the private firm took charge of security at the harbour in January this year, they said. According to the contract, KFHA had to pay about Rs 6 million annually to the firm for watertight security, which. in a break-up, would be about Rs 5.25 million a month.
"Extortion and theft at gunpoint have become daily occurrence at the harbour, whereas the security personnel of the firm during night hours are mostly found absent," they said. A fisherman told Business Recorder that the daily financial transaction was at least millions of rupees, while the harbour remained open round the clock.
He said that threats from an armed gang of the locality to fishermen and boat owners had recently increased. He urged the Authority to ensure protection to fishermen and boat owners within the harbour limits with permanent and sound security arrangements. When contacted, officials of KFHA said that a tender to deploy a new security firm is likely to be floated in the newspapers this week to reach a permanent solution.
Previously, National Police Foundation [NPF] was assigned to look after the security affairs at the harbour but soon it was found that it also lacked the primary security tools, sources said. Security lapses amid terror concerns during the NPF tenure had made the Authority cancel its contract, they added.
According to the officials, the new tender would require any qualified security firm to meet all conditions of the contract, which include that the firm would need to deploy retired army personnel, have the latest weapons, vast and exclusive security experience, self-communication system, etc.