Shadowed Streets of Lyari: The Rise and Fall of Rehman Dakait
Rehman Dakait, the Karachi based gangster whose legend inspired Akshaye Khanna’s role in the film Dhurandhar, remains one of the most controversial crime figures from Lyari. His journey from troubled youth to feared gang leader reveals a complex mix of power, violence and fractured loyalties that shaped an entire neighbourhood.
A Childhood Lost to the Streets
Born as Abdul Rehman Baloch in Lyari, one of Karachi’s oldest and most crowded localities, his early years were marked by poverty and a turbulent environment. Lyari had long been a space where political neglect, unemployment and the absence of structured opportunities pushed many young men toward criminal networks. Rehman’s shift into these circles began young, echoing the reality of many boys who grew up watching gangs operate as local authorities.
From Small Time Enforcer to Dominant Gang Leader
Rehman Dakait’s rise was swift. He learned to navigate the streets with a mix of charisma, ruthlessness and strategy. What set him apart was his ability to build loyalty among followers who felt abandoned by the system. Over time he formed a powerful criminal outfit involved in extortion, land grabbing and territorial battles. Police files from the era described him as a man constantly on the move, difficult to capture and even harder to corner.
Stories about him grew into legends. Some framed him as a Robin Hood figure who sometimes funded local events and supported struggling families. Others remembered him for acts of cruelty, including the killing of rivals in ways that later films dramatized for cinematic effect. His enemies often accused him of brutal displays meant to terrorise opponents, though such accounts mixed fact with folklore over the years.
Family, Betrayals and a Life Without Peace
One of the darkest chapters attached to his name involved the killing of his own mother during a personal conflict, an incident that cemented his image as someone who had completely surrendered to the violent world he lived in. Whether every detail of the story unfolded as told remains debated, but its impact on public perception was lasting.
By the late 2000s, Rehman’s feud with rival gang leaders and law enforcement reached its peak. His life ended in a police encounter in 2009, closing a chapter that had dominated Lyari’s crime landscape for more than a decade.
A Legacy That Still Haunts Lyari
Even today, Rehman Dakait’s name evokes fear, sympathy and controversy. His story is a reminder of how neglected communities can give birth to figures shaped by both circumstance and choice, leaving behind legacies that are remembered long after the guns fall silent.
