Police officials must avoid endangering citizens' lives: AIG Karachi

KARACHI: Additional Inspector General (AIG) Karachi Amir Sheikh has directed police personnel to avoid endangering citizens’ lives during action against criminals, ARY News reported on Sunday.

While chairing a high-level meeting, AIG Karachi Amir Sheikh emphasised on security of citizens during the operations against criminals.The meeting was attended by all police officers including Station House Officers (SHOs) and Investigation Officers (IOs).

Security personnel were directed to prioritise citizens’ security instead of taking risks while targeting criminals. Sheikh said that decision to encounter criminals should not be taken if there was risk of life loss of any citizen. He added that the criminal elements could be arrested or encounters later while life of a citizen could never be brought back.

Read More: Medical student shot dead during cross firing between police, robbers

Sheikh said that security officials will be given special training pertaining modern policing techniques for usage of weapons for actions against criminals.

While concluding the meeting, the Karachi police chief strictly ordered officials to be responsible in usage of weaponry and behavioural conduct with locals. He said that the department will not tolerate misconduct and injustice acts with citizens.

Participants of the meeting also prayed for peace of departed soul of deceased medical student Nimra Baig, who was killed in exchange of firing between police and robbers in North Karachi’s Anda Mor neighbourhood on Friday.

The young female student of Dow University of Health Sciences sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of firing between a police party and a group of suspects in the densely populated area of the metropolis.

Read More: Nimrah’s death puts question mark over services at public hospitals

Baig was initially shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital but no treatment was provided to her and after half an hour, she was referred to Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center.

Her treatment started after two hours of the incident but by that time, it was too late. She succumbed to her injures at the hospital on Friday.

Later on Sunday, a first investigation report (FIR) was lodged against killing of the medical student while policeman Adnan, son of Abdul Malik, of Noor Jehan police station is the plaintiff in the case.