From nabbing terrorists to bagging medals, SSU spent a busy 2017

The Special Security Unit (SSU) of the Sindh Police Department has issued a report detailing the operations and raids they conducted throughout the year 2017 as well as the achievements of their commandos in different competitions.

A spokesman for the SSU said their officers, including commandos, took active part in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies in 10 raids against terrorists.

He said that as a result of the raids, 18 terrorists were arrested and large caches of arms and ammunition, including sub-machine guns, repeaters, rifles and pistols, were recovered from their possession.

The arrested men were found to be associated with banned organisations known to be involved in attacks on officials of the police department and other law enforcement and security agencies as well as political personalities, he added.

Security duties

One hundred SSU commandos provided security to the participants of the multinational exercise AMAN at the Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Nigran as well as of Pakistan’s 70th Independence Day celebrations at Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum, states the unit’s report.

As the inspector general of police’s reserve force, SSU commandos were also on security duty on different religious occasions, including Yaum-e-Ali, the ninth and 10th of Muharram, the Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and the 12th of Rabiul Awwal.

Major events, visits

The SSU also made reasonable security arrangements for the visit of Syedna Aaliqadr Mufaddal Saifuddin of the Dawoodi Bohras, Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, of the Nizari Ismailis, the French delegation and the Malaysian royal family, as well as for the funeral prayers of Dr Ruth Pfau.

Besides those visits and events, the SSU’s commandos were also responsible for effective security arrangements for VVIPs, VIPs and foreign dignitaries on their visit to the province of Sindh.

Corporate social responsibility

The SSU provided awareness about the measures to be adopted in case of hostile situations under the programme Hostile Environment Awareness Training, or HEAT, to the University of Karachi, the Sindh University, the Citibank and the Pakistan Institute of Management, which was attended by students, teachers, bank staff and officers of those institutions.

Foreign delegates, visitors

US Consul General Grace Shelton, security officers’ delegations from Germany, Switzerland, Japan, the UK, the US, China, the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, 37 participants of the 23rd batch of the Mid-Career Management Course Quetta, 45 participants of the 21st batch of the Senior Management Course at the National Institute of Management, 35 trainee ASPs, the commanding officer of the PNS Bahadur and the commander of the Pakistan Navy Shooting School visited the SSU headquarters and commended the professional policing standard maintained at the unit with reference to the course of work in management, administration and counterterrorism operations. They also observed that the SSU was a world-class law enforcement agency of the Sindh police.

Japanese diplomats also visited the SSU headquarters and sought the unit’s assistance for the preparation of a security plan and other relevant arrangements for the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.

Counterterrorism trainings

SSU commandos participated in and successfully completed professional training courses at different training institutions of the Pakistan Army, the Pakistan Navy as well as the police.

The training centres where the advanced professional trainings were imparted were the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Pabbi, Kharian; the Anti Terrorism Training Centre, Simly Dam; the Naval Special Operations Training Centre, Nathia Gali; and the National Police Academy, Islamabad.

Seminars, awareness events

The SSU organised seminars on dengue, chikungunya, blood and bone mineral density tests as well as awareness programmes on diabetes for better health and physical fitness of SSU commandos.

The events, which were held in collaboration with the Dr Essa Laboratories and the Roche Pakistan, were attended by a large number of SSU officers and commandos.

Competitions, awards, medals

SSU commandos won 25 medals in international and national sports competitions: Commando Arsalan Anwar won nine medals (two gold, one silver and six bronze), secured the second position in the International Defensive Pistol Association’s shooting sport event and the third position in the Asia Cup shooting competition.

Commando Abdul Shakoor won seven medals (two gold, one silver and four bronze) and secured the third position in the Asia Cup shooting competition. Commando Abdullah Khan won four medals (two gold, one silver and one bronze) in shooting competitions.

Commando Abdullah Khan also won the Mr South title and secured the second position in bodybuilding competitions.

Commando Khan Saeed Afridi won three gold medals in martial arts competitions, including the World Martial Art Championship in Thailand. Commando Rubab Kanwal won a silver medal and Commando Amir Bangash won a bronze medal in a shooting competition.

Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain lauded the professional capabilities of the SSU and congratulated the unit’s commandant, Maqsood Ahmed, and all the commandos for their respective achievements.

The Sindh police chief, Inspector General of Police AD Khowaja, also announced certificates of commendation as well as cash rewards for them to encourage them to continue excelling.