The Sindh government has issued a directive to the Karachi police, calling for the cessation of crackdowns on sheesha cafes, citing the absence of specific legislation targeting such establishments. According to police sources, senior officers have been directed by the Sindh government that no legislation has been enacted against sheesha cafes. Karachi police officers have been benefiting from crackdowns, raids, and arrests against sheesha cafes, so police will no longer conduct crackdowns on sheesha cafes. Police sources further revealed that sheesha cafes are prevalent in various areas of Karachi, and despite crackdowns in recent years, they have not been completely shut down. Instead, Karachi police had initiated a system of collecting weekly and monthly fees from sheesha cafes.

However, following clear directives from the Sindh government, police have been instructed to halt crackdowns on sheesha cafes and assign officers outside these establishments to prevent young people from using drugs inside. If young people are found using drugs in sheesha cafes, legal action will be taken against the cafes' owners, and they will be arrested. Karachi police authorities have confirmed that following the government's directives, officers have been deployed outside sheesha cafes in South and East zones to monitor any negative activities. However, if sheesha cafes are solely used for smoking sheesha, no action will be taken against them, and police will not harass the owners of sheesha cafes.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan