Murad orders crackdown against street criminals, drug mafia, beggars' racket

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his first meeting at the CM House on Sunday after assuming the office has directed the inspector general of the Sindh Police to launch a crackdown against street criminals, drug mafia and beggars racket.

“Street crimes should not only be controlled but eliminated,” he said.

In his speech on the floor of the house, he had spelt out that maintenance of law and order would be his top priority, “This is why on Sunday I am holding this meeting,” he said and added “the street crime was undoing all the government efforts he had taken to restore law and order in the city, therefore a decisive action is required to eliminate this [social] evil,” he said.

The inspector general of police told the CM that a targeted operation was in progress and it would definitely produce good results. At this the chief minister said that the targeted operation must be made stricter and focused. He directed him to make the SHOs responsible for controlling street crime, otherwise take strict action against them.

Additional IG Karachi Dr Ameer Shaikh said that there was a drug mafia and other mafias behind the street crimes. He said those who were running the racket of beggars in the city were also involved in street crimes.

The chief minister directed the IG police to launch operation against drug mafia, including the peddlers and addicts.

“Just after Eid necessary measures would be taken to send the addicts to the rehabilitation centers or to the welfare organisations,” he said.

He said he did not want to see the beggars standing at all the roundabouts. “There should be an operation against them,” he said.

The IG Police, briefing on law and order, said that there was strength of 123,983 policemen in the province. He said that there were 30 police districts, and 623 police stations all over Sindh.

At this the chief minister said that if the population of the province is divided with the total strength of the police there would be a ratio of 1 policeman for 410 people. “This is not bad ratio but we have to make the police more responsive, hardworking and dedicated to control the crime,” he said and added this would be possible with capacity building of the police.

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The IG police told the chief minister that 10,269 policemen were receiving different trainings. “8,300 policemen are on in-service courses, 1237 are receiving training at army training centers, 432 are receiving special training by Pakistan Army and 300 are doing specialized commando courses. The capacity building process as launched by the chief minister during his last tenure is in progress.”

Giving details of general law and order situation, the IG told there was strict vigilance on 761 persons including those named in the Fourth Schedule. Campaign to arrest all proclaimed offenders was in progress and the police station record was also being updated, he added.

IG Police Amjad Javed Saleemi said that during 2018 to this date 622 encounters were conducted in which 1122 criminals were arrested red-handed. In the encounters 73 criminals were neutralized and two LMGs, eight G-3s, 145 SMGs and 5204 pistols were recovered.

The chief minister directed the IG to ensure proper maintenance of law and order during the Eid days. “After Eid a comprehensive plan would be worked out to make this city free of street crime and a similar policy would be launched in other districts of the province where law and order situation is fragile,” he said.