PM reiterates promise of financial,logistical support for Karachi police

Karachi
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s whirlwind visit to the city culminated on Friday evening with little more than appreciation and assurances of financial and logistical support for Karachi’s law enforcers.
In a high-level meeting at the Governor House, the city’s security situation and the targeted operation were discussed in detail, with the PM praising the diligence and operational capacity shown by the Karachi police.
The lack of resources has long remained a bone of contention for law enforcers and, with the issue brought up again, Sharif vowed complete cooperation and support in this regard. However, sources said the assurances were met with cautious optimism, largely due to the fact that the same promises had been made during the PM’s visit last year without any practical results.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s reservations regarding its activists’ killings were also discussed and the PM called for the formation of a judicial commission to probe the matter.
Sharif, according to sources, also urged the ruling Pakistan People’s Party government to mend fences with the MQM and address its concerns in earnest.

Operation progress report
Presenting details of the Karachi operation’s progress, city police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo said the force’s dedicated efforts had brought about a 42 percent reduction in murders in the city.
“Over the course of the operation, 68 murderers have been killed and 194 arrested. During the last quarter of 2014, 168 criminals, including terrorists, Lyari gangsters, kidnappers and dacoits, were killed across the city,” said the AIG.
Extortion cases, he added, were down by 46 percent as only 56 were reported over the last three months of 2014. “Kidnapping for ransom cases were down to just 21 over this period. Right now, four cases are being probed in Karachi, two in Hyderabad, two in Sukkur and four in Larkana,” said Thebo, “Over this time, six kidnappers have been killed and 18 arrested.”
The AIG acknowledged car snatching as one of the police force’s main challenges. “During the last quarter of 2014, 19 gangs were busted and the daily average of 10 snatched vehicles has been brought down to just four,” he said.
Bank robberies, claimed Thebo, had also been significantly reduced with all 23 cases reported in 2014 having been solved and 11 criminals arrested, while one was killed.
The city police chief also highlighted the sacrifices being rendered by his personnel, stating that 15 cops were killed in Karachi and seven more gunned down across the province over the corresponding period. “We have succeeded in arresting nine people involved in cops’ murders, while two suspects were killed in shootouts,” said the AIG.
However, Thebo stressed that proactive efforts had borne encouraging results and cited the fact that no major terror attack had taken place in Karachi since before the last quarter of 2014.

Requirements
The AIG reiterated his view that all present efforts were being made with limited available resources. Sources said Thebo informed the PM and meeting participants of the needs of the police force, chief among them being 100 APCs and 100 armoured four-wheelers for patrolling and operations.
Moreover, he identified bombproof vehicles, bulletproof jackets, scanners, GPS locators, drone surveillance cameras and mobile jammers as the department’s pressing needs.
Apart from what was needed, Thebo told the PM about initiatives being taken to modernise the city’s policing methods. He said projects for CCTV systems, drone cameras and a Command and Control Room were in the pipeline, while a proposal had also been prepared for a much-needed DNA testing facility.