Accommodation of officials called in from rural Sindh and food supplieshang in balance as provincial government yet to approve proposal
The population census is scheduled to begin on March 15 after almost two decades, but the Sindh police department is still waiting on necessary funds to be released. However, all the units of Karachi police have finalised their security arrangements.
Police sources said that following the announcement of conducting a population count in Sindh, senior police officials held a series of meetings with their subordinates and other officials to chalk out a foolproof security plan.
The meetings discussed police deployment, especially in highly sensitive districts, and decided on calling in officials from rural Sindh as well as making use of forces from other units of the Karachi police and the Sindh Reserve Police.
Almost all the units of the Sindh police have finalised their security arrangements and submitted a proposal to the provincial government for releasing the required funds to be utilised for security duties, accommodation of officials called in from rural Sindh and food supplies, but their pitch is yet to be approved.
Moreover, District West is considered one of the most sensitive districts of Karachi and it could pose a challenge to the police officials to provide adequate security in the district during the census.
The situation has been brought to the notice of SSP (West) Nasir Aftab, who has assured the officials of fail-safe security arrangements for the enumerators to ensure that the population count is conducted peacefully in the district.
SSP Aftab said he had also convened a meeting with his subordinates, including the SP Orangi Town, regarding the upcoming census and crime control in their respective jurisdictions.
Police have distributed the West district into blocks – approximately 2,600 – and they have devised a five-layer security plan, comprising officials from the Sindh police and the Pakistan Army.
In the high-sensitive zones, two police and two army guards will be deployed with the enumerators, and in the normal zones, the staff will be secured by one police and one army guard.
All the SDPOs and SHOs had participated in SSP Aftab’s recent census security meeting, and to ensure foolproof security arrangements during the population count, they discussed the following points at length.
To guarantee availability of all the posted strength, every SHO has been directed to ensure arrangements for calling in additional forces from various districts and units as well as their transportation.
All the SDPOs will supervise and ensure compliance of orders as well as coordinate with the focal person of the SP office in Orangi Division.
To ensure that all the weapons and equipment available at police stations are clean and to guarantee smooth deployment of the forces, the officials must coordinate with the divisional intelligence officer.
All the staffers of the SP offices will remain present in proper uniform as the reserve platoon of the SPs of all divisions. All the office staff of the SDPOs and SHOs will also participate in census duties.
All the SHOs were directed to take strict legal action against all the accused in the district. The relevant SDPOs will supervise their cases and submit positive reports as soon as possible.
All the SHOs were also directed to take action against illegal Afghans and other foreigners as part of implementing the National Action Plan. They were also directed to take action under the Temporary Residents Ordinance for implementing the action plan.
DIG (South) Azad Khan told The News that there were more than 2,200 blocks in his zone and police officials were distributed in 1,100 teams with the deployment of 3,000 officials.
He added that besides assigning two police and two army guards in high-sensitive areas for protecting the enumerators, patrolling duties were also assigned to the Quick Response Force of the Sindh police.
They have also called in 1,000 police personnel from rural Sindh as well as picked 1,500 more from other units of the Karachi police.
DIG (East) Arif Hanif said they had also finalised their security arrangements for the census, adding that the estimated blocks in his zone were 6,341, in which 985 circles were made, with a deployment of 5,000-plus officials for security duties.
All the SHOs and SDPOs were also directed to carry out constant patrolling in their respective jurisdictions, expand their intelligence network and crack down on all criminals.