Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday ordered a crackdown against the display of weaponry and use of Toyota Hilux pickup trucks in the province.
The newly formed Crime Control Department (CCD), a specialised unit dedicated to tackling crime in the province, will take “indiscriminate action” against those who create “fear and panic” through such displays.
According to a statement by Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Sohail Zafar Chatha, “Spreading fear and panic in the society and displaying weapons cannot be allowed at all.”
“CCD officers have been ordered to take indiscriminate action against those displaying weapons,” he said.
He added that over 21,000 Safe City cameras will be used to monitor those displaying weapons and modern artificial intelligence will also be used to identify weapons.
Referring to luxurious pickup trucks, the Hilux has become a symbol of power, status, and intimidation in a society marked by significant class divisions.
Hiluxes part the traffic — speeding up behind cars and flashing their lights, demanding drivers move out of their way. Guards with faces wrapped in scarves and armed with AK-47s can be packed into the back of the truck, its windows blacked out. In Karachi, a city rife with street crimes, the imposing Vigo Dala deters even outlaws.
The Hilux debuted in 1968, but the model that became popular in Pakistan was the mid-2000s Hilux Vigo. In recent years, the “Vigo Dala”, as it is locally known, has soared in popularity as an escort vehicle among newly successful urban business owners.
