KARACHI: The Jackson Police Station, founded in 1924, is the oldest surviving police station in the Pakistani megacity of Karachi. Once known as a temporary lockup for petty criminals, it has evolved over the decades into a key facility to hold suspects involved in serious crimes like murder, armed robbery and drug trafficking in a bustling port area of the country’s commercial hub.
As the population of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest and most populous city, has surged from 244,000 to over 20 million in the last century, so too has the nature of crimes. The Jackson Police Station — which is used to house suspects before they are produced in courts or convicted and sentenced to prison — has kept up pace.
“While the lockup has been in existence for the past 100 years, its guests have changed over time,” Station House Master Muhammad Ishaq told Arab News.
Fifty years ago, the criminals brought to the lockup may have pick-pocketed a few hundred rupees or nicked schoolbooks from a nearby shop, but now, people accused of violent murders are brought in and a drug dealer was recently holed up there after being caught with nearly 58 kilograms of narcotics.
“Similarly, we’ve apprehended robbers and those involved in oil theft from the [nearby] refinery,” Ishaq said.
The area where Jackson Police Station is located on Napier Mole Road near Karachi’s Keamari Port is one of the city’s most dynamic and densely populated regions, a dizzying mishmash of residential, commercial, and industrial zones.
Due to its proximity to the port, offenses such as smuggling, illegal fishing and other maritime-related crimes are common in the area. Issues of street crime, narcotics, and public order are also standard-fare in the Keamari region, home to a diverse population of dock workers, traders and various ethnic communities.
Peerzada Salman, the author of ‘Legacies of Empires’ about colonial-era buildings in Karachi, said most of the buildings in Keamari were built before the partition of the Indian Subcontinent and the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
The police station and a nearby market were named after either of two prominent Jacksons of Karachi, Salman said: one, the principal of DJ College and the other a prominent pharmacy owner.
“PRISON CONDITIONS”
According to documents seen by Arab News, the police station existed before 1933.
“In 1924, the first police post or police station [of Karachi] was established here, and its building is still there in front of you, and it also has a plaque from that time,” SHO Ishaq said. “We also have records of the SHOs from after 1935 onwards.
“From the very beginning, it has a lockup and an arms depot where weapons are stored securely. It has a bunker [as well]. All of this indicates that the building was originally constructed precisely to be used as a police station.”
But the condition of the lockup has long been a point of concern.
Pakistan has one of the world’s most overcrowded prison systems, according to Human Rights Watch, which said in a report released last year that the South Asian nation’s more than 100 jails had at least 88,000 inmates, against the officially approved capacity of 65,168. Some jail cells, the report said, were holding as many as 15 prisoners when they were designed for just three.
Prisoners are forced to live under unsanitary conditions and “lice, fleas, scabies and skin diseases are common in prison,” it said.
Other than the lack of health care facilities in prisons, the report also highlighted rights abuses faced by the prisoners, including torture, discrimination and lack of access to legal aid.
Prisons are also under-resourced, experts say, and efforts at reform are stymied by ingrained attitudes of discrimination, among other reasons.
Jibran Nasir, a lawyer and human rights activist, criticized the state of lockups across Pakistan, describing them as “overcrowded, poorly ventilated, smelly, and lacking basic amenities like washrooms and bedding.”
“Suspects are held temporarily, but their detention can be extended during physical remands. Often, they have no contact with family members who could provide essentials like pillows or clean clothes,” Nasir said.
But SHO Ishaq said “standard operating procedures” at Jackson were “of the same level and methods in the whole of Pakistan.”
“Safety, security, cleanliness and the facilities that should be provided to the accused, they are all there, because we hate the crime, not the suspect,” the police officer said, adding that greater attention was now being paid to the cleanliness and hygiene of the police station.
Salman, whose book has a dedicated chapter on Jackson, also said there was room for improvement.
Apart from playing a “vital role” in policing, the station was also part of the city’s cultural heritage and along with other buildings in the vicinity needed upkeep, the historian said.
“The Jackson Police Station, I think, is in pretty good shape. Still, it needs a bit of restoration, a bit of refurbishment … The facade looks good, but obviously the inner area needs a bit of touch-up.”
Karachi’s oldest lockup, Jackson Police Station, evolves as city sprawls
https://arab.news/4yqvm
Karachi’s oldest lockup, Jackson Police Station, evolves as city sprawls
- Founded in 1924, Jackson is used to hold petty criminals and suspects in serious crimes before they are presented in court, sentenced
- Proximity to Keamari Port means lockup sees all manner of suspects in cases of smuggling, illegal fishing, murder and drug trafficking
Family of detained Baloch rights activist moves Supreme Court against her arrest
- Dr. Mahrang Baloch has been held in a Quetta prison since she was arrested on March 22
- She published a letter from jail in a US magazine, saying ‘speaking for justice is not a crime’
ISLAMABAD: The family of a detained Pakistani Baloch rights activists, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, filed a petition in Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking to overturn a provincial court ruling that upheld her arrest under public order laws, according to a local media report.
Baloch, a physician and a civil society activists, has been held at Quetta’s Hudda District Jail since March 22 after she participated in protests following a separatist militant attack on a passenger train in Balochistan.
She was arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law, a move her supporters described as part of a broader crackdown on nonviolent dissent in the restive province.
The petition, filed by her sister, argues that the detention is arbitrary and aimed at silencing peaceful activism.
“Nadia Baloch, the sister of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, urged the Supreme Court on Wednesday to set aside the April 15 order of the Balochistan High Court that rejected the plea against her detention under the Maintenance of Public Order,” the English-language newspaper Dawn quoted from the petition.
The detained activist, who leads the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, also published a letter from prison in the US-based Time magazine this week, in which she asserted that “speaking up for justice is not a crime.”
Pakistani authorities have accused Baloch of promoting the narrative of separatist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in public. However, her letter in the American magazine maintained the officials had not provided any evidence of her links with BLA or any other militant group while criticizing the authorities for blurring the line between militancy and peaceful protest.
Earlier this year, the Balochistan High Court dismissed Baloch’s initial challenge to her detention, advising her to seek administrative remedies instead of judicial relief.
Her sister’s petition has now asked the apex court to suspend that ruling and review whether constitutional protections such as habeas corpus were ignored in the previous judicial decision.
The Supreme Court has yet to announce when it will take up the case for hearing.
Pakistan urges global protection for Gaza’s children on World Day Against Child Labor
- President Zardari says children in conflict zones need global aid, protection and justice
- PM Shehbaz Sharif also calls for stricter enforcement of existing laws against child labor
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday called for urgent international support for children in Gaza, warning that thousands face displacement, hunger and heightened risks of forced labor amid ongoing conflict.
The appeal was made by President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement issued on the World Day Against Child Labor, observed annually on June 12. He said children living in war zones must be at the center of the global child protection agenda.
“These children urgently need global aid, protection and justice,” Zardari said. “In conflict-affected regions such as Gaza, thousands of innocent children have been displaced, injured or orphaned by violence. Many face hunger, trauma and the risk of falling into child labor.”
While reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating child labor domestically, the president urged governments, rights defenders, media, religious leaders and philanthropists to come together and protect vulnerable children everywhere.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a separate message, said Pakistan “stands shoulder to shoulder with the international community in the fight against child labor,” but noted that implementation gaps still exist.
“This day is a reminder that we must continue striving toward a future where every child grows up in a safe and prosperous environment,” he said.
Officials say child labor remains widespread in Pakistan, especially in rural and informal sectors, depriving millions of education and exposing them to exploitation.
Sharif urged stricter enforcement of existing laws, which prohibit child labor under Pakistan’s constitution and several key statutes.
Zardari emphasized that while Pakistan has introduced reforms and protection systems, including the National Commission on the Rights of the Child and child welfare bureaus, lasting change requires collective action.
“Child labor is a global challenge,” he said. “Governments and societies must work together to protect children from exploitation and ensure they grow up in dignity.”
Pakistan PM arrives in UAE for high-level talks on strategic cooperation
- PM Shehbaz Sharif is undertaking the visit on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s invitation
- Trip comes as Pakistan strives to deepen trade, investment relations with Gulf nations
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for a daylong official visit to the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Pakistani government said.
Sharif was received at Al Bateen Airport by the UAE president’s brother and national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who accompanied him to the presidential palace.
UAE’s Secretary General of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Ahmed Al Shamsi, Pakistan’s Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi and senior embassy officials were also present at the airport.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Abu Dhabi on a one-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates on the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The Pakistani delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
The trip comes amid Pakistan’s broader efforts to strengthen strategic and economic ties with Gulf countries, particularly the UAE, which is its third-largest trading partner and a key source of investment and financial support.
The UAE has played a critical role in helping Pakistan navigate recent economic challenges, including through direct deposits into Pakistan’s central bank that supported an International Monetary Fund bailout.
According to a statement from Pakistan’s foreign office a day earlier, the prime minister is expected to follow up on more than $3 billion in cooperation agreements signed during his previous visit in January 2024, covering infrastructure, energy and investment.
Sharif and the UAE presidents are also expected to discuss regional security developments. Last month, the two leaders held a phone call during which Islamabad praised the UAE’s diplomatic role in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India after a military flare-up.
‘Bellicose punchlines’: Islamabad slams India’s top diplomat over anti-Pakistan remarks in Brussels
- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar accused Pakistan of sponsoring ‘terrorism,’ asserted New Delhi’s right to retaliate
- Foreign office says India should raise the quality of its discourse instead of remaining ‘obsessed with Pakistan’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday criticized Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar for “producing bellicose punchlines” after he made a series of statements during his visit to Brussels, accusing Islamabad of sponsoring “terrorism” and asserting New Delhi reserved the right to retaliate against militant attacks.
The comments come in the wake of a recent military standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbors, involving the exchange of fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery fire. Both countries have since launched parallel diplomatic offensives, dispatching delegations to major world capitals to present their versions of events.
New Delhi suspended a longstanding river water-sharing treaty following a gun attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that it blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement, calling for an impartial international probe before India decided to launch missiles to target what it called was “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan.
A US-brokered ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump on May 10, followed by Pakistan’s call for a “composite dialogue” with its neighboring state which New Delhi has so far resisted.
“Pakistan categorically rejects the irresponsible remarks made by the External Affairs Minister of India during different media engagements in Brussels,” the foreign office said in a strongly worded statement.
“The discourse of top diplomats should aim to promote peace and harmony, rather than producing bellicose punchlines,” it continued. “The tone and tenor of a Foreign Minister should be commensurate with his dignified status.”
The ministry accused India of waging a years-long “malicious campaign” aimed at misleading the global community with a “fictitious narrative of victimhood,” adding that such rhetoric cannot conceal what it described as India’s own “sponsorship of terrorism beyond its borders” or its “state-sanctioned oppression” in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
“India must also desist from concocting misleading narratives to justify its recent aggressive actions,” the statement said. “Pakistan believes in peaceful coexistence, dialogue and diplomacy. However, it stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any aggression, as exemplified by its robust response to India’s reckless strikes last month.”
Calling India’s recent remarks a sign of “sheer frustration” after what it termed an “unsuccessful military adventure,” Islamabad said Indian leaders should focus on improving the quality of their discourse rather than remaining “obsessed with Pakistan.”
“The history will judge not by who shouted the loudest but by who acted the wisest,” it added.
Palestinian MP accuses Israel and India of conspiring together against Pakistan’s sovereignty
- Sheikh Mamoun Asaad Al-Tamimi was speaking at the National Press Club in Islamabad during a ‘Meet the Press’ event
- Says Pakistan’s ‘victory’ in recent military confrontation with India was a success for the entire Muslim ummah
ISLAMABAD: Palestinian lawmaker Sheikh Mamoun Asaad Al-Tamimi on Wednesday accused Israel and India of working in tandem to undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty, alleging that both nations viewed Pakistan’s nuclear capability as a threat to their regional ambitions.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Islamabad during a “Meet the Press” event, Al-Tamimi claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, encouraged by Israeli leadership, had attempted to provoke war with Pakistan.
“Modi and Netanyahu are deeply troubled by Pakistan’s nuclear strength. On Israel’s instigation, Modi tried to impose war on Pakistan but they were met with a response they never anticipated,” he said.
Al-Tamimi was referring to exchanges of drones, missiles, and artillery strikes between the two arch-rivals between May 7-10 before a ceasefire was announced. After India struck first on May 7, Pakistan vowed retaliation, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets.
The two nations also hit each other’s military bases, airfields and other army facilities with missiles.
The Palestinian MP said Israel expected Pakistan’s leadership to be divided and weak in the face of Indian airstrikes.
“But Pakistan’s military and political leadership responded with unity and strength. This is not just a Pakistani victory, it is a victory for the entire Muslim ummah,” he said.
Al-Tamimi’s remarks come amid ongoing violence in Gaza, which he described as a humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza in October 2023 in which at least 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health authorities in the coastal enclave.
“Israel has placed Gaza under siege ... There is now an acute shortage of food and medicine. If the blockade continues, two million Palestinians could die of hunger within a year,” Al-Tamimi warned.
He also drew parallels between the struggles in Gaza and disputed Kashmir, claiming both were victims of occupation and global neglect.
“The war in Gaza has unmasked everyone. Western media portrays Israel as a victim, but this war has exposed the truth. The silence of the international community is deafening.”
Calling for global protests, Al-Tamimi urged people, particularly in Pakistan, to demonstrate outside US embassies in solidarity with the people of Gaza:
“The world must pressure Israel to end its brutal campaign.”
During the press meet visit, NPC President Azhar Jatoi recalled the club’s early support for Gaza, including rallies and awards for over 150 journalists who highlighted the Palestinian cause. Secretary Nayyar Ali added that Pakistani journalists would continue speaking up for Gaza on all platforms.
