Rich students of city’s ‘elite’ schools facing kidnapping threat
* Parents of over half a dozen children put KGS on alert
* Other schools in DHA and Clifton too at risk, says principal
* Dozens of policemen guard KGS, CJM, SZABIST, ICC and LPS
* Schools charging up to Rs700 monthly as “security” charges
* Police registered 99 kidnapping for ransom cases in one year
ISMAIL DILAWAR
KARACHI, September 27, 2014: The children of wealthy businessmen studying in this crime-infested city’s so-called elite schools are facing a serious threat of kidnapping for ransom, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The threatened children are enrolled in the three sections of Karachi Grammar School (KGS), Convent of Jesus & Mary (CJM) I and II, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Iranian Cultural Center (ICC), Links Pre-School (LPS) and other educational institutes mostly located in the posh areas of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Clifton.
“Security stands vital for us because some of our children are facing the threat of kidnapping,” KGS Principal Colin Wrigley told Pakistan Today.
Without naming them, the principal said the rich parents of at least half a dozen KGS’s students had formally notified the school that their kids were facing a kidnapping threat.
“May be it is more (than six). But I am guessing only,” Wrigley said adding other schools too were facing the threat. “The kids at CJM schools too are facing this threat,” he said.
The kidnapping threat, the principal said, was one of the major reasons for which the school’s management was tending to restrict the public’s free access to the park-cum-play sports facility his organization was planning to develop on the 5.4-acre “adopted” amenity plot situated between the school’s two campuses near Boating Basin.
The KGS’s plan to develop a sporting site, however, seems to have hit a snag after the civil society organizations like Shehri questioned the school on a controlled usage of the amenity plot under a secret thus dubious agreement with the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC).
“Their fathers are rich businessmen and so are usually targeted (by kidnappers),” replied Wrigley.
Asked if KGS had ever suffered any incident of kidnapping the principal replied in affirmative. “Oh yes, a boy was kidnapped less than a year back. That’s why we are so concerned it,” he said without elaborating.
Such uncertain security condition requires the KGS management to take special arrangements to protect its students. “We have dedicated guards, controlled employees (network) and (surveillance) cameras and a proper system in place,” Wrigley said. “We make special arrangements for them (threatened students) to come and go,” the principal said.
Interestingly, while only six of its students are threatened by kidnapers the KGS is charging each of its students with Rs 700 under the head of “security” along with its monthly fee.
According to Wrigley, at least 2,300 students are presently studying at three sections of KGS: around 950 at A- and O-level section, 920 at junior section and the rest at the school’s old Saddar campus.
While Wrigley preferred not to divulge the security arrangements, a police officer deployed at the school’s main gate was not that conscious.
“Up to 49 police personnel stand on guard to avoid any unpleasant happening at KGS as well as other schools like Jesus & Mary (I and II), SZABIST, Iranian (Cultural Center) School and Links (Pre) School,” Sub-Inspector Muhammad Ayub Birhamani told Pakistan Today.
He said at least six to seven policemen perform duty at these schools from 7am to 3pm on a daily basis. “The safety of children is our duty,” he added.
Why only these schools are being guarded? “Because they have requested for security,” the officer replied.
Official record of the heinous crimes like kidnapping for ransom justifies the concerns of KGS and other elite schools.
According to police data, at least 99 cases of kidnapping for ransom were registered in different police stations of this crime-infested city during Sept 5, 2013 and Sept 4 this year.
In preceding year, the police had registered at least 102 cases in which 86 people were kidnapped. This figure marks a nominal reduction of three cases in incidents of kidnapping in the metropolis.
During the ongoing targeted operation, the law enforcers claim to have arrested some 114 accused. Also, the police have shot at least 13 accused compared to 23 they had gunned down last year.
Of those arrested 112 are languishing behind the bars while two are in police custody. -ENDs
