Karachi
The Sindh chief minister said on Tuesday that ample incentives would be given to investigators working on high-profile cases as well as to prosecutors for having culprits convicted.
Qaim Ali Shah was speaking while presiding over a meeting of the apex committee at the Chef Minister’s House.
It was attended by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Corps Commander Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, Ranger DG Maj Gen Bilal Akbar, IGP AD Khowaja, and the provincial heads of intelligence agencies.
The provincial ministers who attended the meeting included Nisar Khuhro, Murad Ali Shah, Sohail Anwar Siyal, Murtaza Wahab, Maula Bux Chandio, and Dr Qayoom Soomro.
The IGP briefed the committee about the police’s efforts to rescue Sindh High Court chief justice’s kidnapped son Owais Ali Shah. He said police had conducted 145 raids in this connection.
Just after 48 hours of his kidnapping, an activity was noticed on Owais’s phone in Landi Kotal.
He said that the car in which he was kidnapped was an imported one. “We have found that only 3,000 cars of that brand and model had been imported in Pakistan, and 700 of them are in Karachi,” he added.
He said the number plate of the car was of an “SP number” and had a computerised make. “Police have interrogated all people involved in manufacturing computerised number plates to find clues.”
Khowaja said there were 2,292 CCTV cameras installed at 538 locations in Karachi.
“The quality of these cameras is very poor and most of them are out of order. The city needs 12 mega pixel CCTV cameras,” he added.
The corps commander said that 2,292 cameras were not enough. He noted that London was smaller than Karachi but had 60,000 CCTV cameras which recorded every individual in the city round the clock.
On this, the governor suggested establishing a separate commissionerate to install, operate, and maintain a CCTV network.
The chief minister formed a committee headed by Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, the IGP and home secretary Jamal Shah to chalk out a plan to establish an authority for installing, operating and maintaining CCTV cameras.
The IGP said that the process of 200 police investigators and 170 another inspectors for prosecution had been started through the Sindh Public Service Commission.
The chief minister said that he would give special incentives to investigators and prosecutors for good performance.
The recruitment of 2,000 ex-army men for the security of the CPEC is in progress. So far, 168 officials have been recruited while the process of hiring 487 others was in its final stage but there were not enough applicants.
The corps commander said that COAS General Raheel Sharif had assured the Sindh government that he would provide it with ex-army men who had Sindh domiciles and were near retirement.
Briefing on the killing of Amjad Sabri, the IGP said he Qawwal was murdered using a 30-bore pistol – a weapon used by target killers of banned outfits.
He added that the case was being investigated on three fronts: property dispute, sectarian grounds or political reasons.
The IGP said there was a 120,000 police force in the province and there were various issues including their attendance, seniority list and ghost employees. To keep their complete record, there must be a computerised system.
The chief minister directed the chief secretary and the home secretary to send him a proposal for the creation of an IT service cadre in the police department.
The IT cadre will be responsible for maintaining cops’ records from their appointment to trainings, promotions, seniority list, disciplinary actions if any, retirement and payment of salaries, perks, and pensions.
Heavy rains
The participants of the meeting were informed that the expected heavy rains might cause urban floods. The chief minister said he had released Rs144 million for the cleaning of drains in Karachi. The cleaning work will be carried by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and looked after by the commissioner and the representatives of 5 Corps.