First They Lace Up Their Skates. Then They Fight Terrorism.

The police in Karachi, Pakistan, put 20 officers on in-line skates for counterterrorism patrols and to soften the force’s image. Critics call it a publicity stunt.

KARACHI, Pakistan — Syeda Aiman has learned to shoot while she skates. She isn’t a hockey player, but an officer on a counterterrorism unit in Pakistan. The 20-member unit carries out counterterrorism surveillance and community policing on in-line skates. It also has an equal number of male and female officers. Both facts are rarities in this city of at least 15 million, where the roads are crumbling and nearly every institution is male-dominated. Police officials say the unit, which first appeared in public in December, is a success. Critics call it a gimmick. But most Karachiites can at least agree that it’s been odd to see armed officers skating through their shopping malls.