Photo courtesy Presidency
President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday directed Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to commence a large-scale operation against street criminals in Karachi; dacoits in the katcha (riverine) area; and drug traffickers throughout the province in close coordination with other provinces.
Chairing a special meeting to review the law and order situation in Sindh, the president also backed the speedy completion of the Karachi Safe City project. According to a statement, the chief minister gave a detailed briefing on the prevailing law and order situation, stressing the situation was improving following an operation in the katcha areas. He claimed this was evident from the peaceful occurrence of the Iranian president’s visit to Karachi; various Pakistan Super League and international cricket matchs; and various religious events.
In his briefing, Sindh Rangers DG Major General Azhar Waqas said 5,357 crimes were reported across Karachi in the first four months of 2024, adding the capital had dropped from sixth on the global crime index in 2014 to 82 today. The Sindh Rangers chief claimed street crime cases declined in March and April, adding overall 49 people were killed in 48 street crimes, while 43 accused were arrested and 13 suspects killed in encounters.
The chief minister explained that police had revived the Shaheen Force to curb street crimes and was restructuring Madadgar-15. He said police had also been provided 168 cars and 120 other vehicles to achieve their goals. President Zardari stressed on police taking strict action against trade centers where stolen property was being sold.
Sindh IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon, meanwhile, briefed the meeting on the katcha operation, noting 107 checkposts were established on the left bank of the Indus River, while 609 people abducted by criminals via honey traps had been recovered. He said 103 citizens were abducted from January to April 2024, with 76 registered cases and 47 unregistered. He said 63 dacoits were killed in encounters in the first four months of this year, adding 120 suspects were arrested injured. Additionally, he said, 418 other suspects were also taken into custody. He said 17 cops were martyred and 27 injured during the operations.
The president also ordered authorities concerned to complete the Karachi Safe City project “on war footing” to eliminate street crimes and other illegal activities in the port city. He said the Northern Bypass should be fenced to curb katcha bandits’ activities and also sought the early completion of the Ghotki-Kandhkot bridge. Zardari proposed a tri-party mechanism for effective coordination between the Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan provinces.
The president, per the statement, also ordered police to take strict action against the drug mafia and urged the Sindh government to raise awareness about narcotics among parents. He also directed special security measures for foreigners, particularly Chinese citizens.
He directed the Sindh government to approach the center for acquiring arms and ammunition required to maintain the law and order situation and ordered the transfer of police officials who failed to maintain peace.
In addition to provincial officials, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi; Science and Technology Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also attended the meeting.