KARACHI  -  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.