IG Sindh directs DIG South to focus on illegal street racing on Sea View

KARACHI: Sindh IG AD Khawaja on Monday directed  DIG South Azad Khan to give special attention towards illegal street racing on Seaview.

Responding to a question at a ceremony in Karachi, Khawaja said: “This is a valid point, especially on Sunday, children come and race on the roads."

The IG then addressed DIG South by name and added, "We have to give our special focus on this issue."

The comments of the provincial police chief come on the backdrop of a road rage incident at Sea View on Sunday when a Mercedes sedan and a sports bike collided, resulting in shots being fired that left one dead and one injured.

Speaking to Geo.tv, DIG South Azad Khan said that deployment at known racing venues will be increased and a crackdown against illegal street racing will be launched. 

He explained that there were two types of illegal street racing, the first is when two drivers going down the road suddenly start competing with each other and the second, when planned illegal street racing events are organized. 

While the increased deployment will have an impact on the planned illegal street racing meet-ups, Azad added that the police will have to collaborate with the Traffic Police to combat the other unplanned street racing phenomenon. 

When asked when asked if there needs to be a collaboration between other government departments to restrict vehicles from being modified specifically for illegal racing purposes, Khan responded that it was an area that would also be looked at. 

Sea View incident

According to eyewitnesses, four youth in the Mercedes sedan hit a sports bike from behind and then sped away. The vehicle was then chased down by a Toyota Hilux and was fired upon by the people inside.

Police said that after firing at least nine times at the car, the men in the pick-up truck disembarked and beat up the passengers of the sedan.

The tragedy, while not directly related to illegal street racing, isn't the first life lost due to the phenomenon.

Illegal street racing has been glamourized in movies for decades, leading to the concept spreading across continents. However, unlike certain countries where open spaces are provided; drivers risk their own and the lives of others when satisfying their thrill for speed across the world as well as in Pakistani cities.

A quick search online, reveals multiple videos and images of accidents that were caused by rash drivers involved in illegal street racing in Karachi - both in the daytime and at night. However, the worst incident dates back to 2010 when a Toyota Supra ripped into the crowd at a racing event in Rawalpindi killing five spectators.