Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the police department to establish anti-terrorism training units at the police training centres in Shahdadpur and Razakabad, Karachi, so that new police entrants are imparted specialised training.
“We have commandos, anti-riot and anti-dacoit specialised training units at our police training centres, but we don’t have anti-terrorism training units, which are the need of the hour. Therefore, they must be established so that these anti-state elements are dealt by the police professionally,” said Shah on Wednesday.
He was speaking at the 172nd passing-out parade of 561 ASIs at the Police Training Centre, Shahdadpur. The programme was hosted by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon and the centre’s Principal Munir Khuhro.
MPA Shahid Thahim, Aajiz Dhamraha, Javed Nayab Leghari, Paras Dero and other notables as well as family members of the passing-out ASIs attended the programme in large numbers.
The CM directed the IGP to hire top trainers from the Pakistan Army to train new police recruits in dealing with terrorists. “Once these trained policemen are on ground, we’ll be able to handle terrorists on different fronts such as espionage and operation.”
Shah also suggested that the provincial police chief establish such units at Shahdadpur and Razakabad, Karachi, so that the selected policemen could be given specialised anti-terrorism training. Addressing the ASIs, the CM said policing is a sacred profession because policemen protect the lives and properties of the people.
“The presence of a policeman must be considered a sense of security, protection and confidence by the people. This is my humble desire, and I’m sure the police would come up to such a level of professionalism.”
Shah said the 561 passed-out ASIs, male and female, would now wear the uniform to perform their duties in the field. “You have to maintain the sanctity of your uniform and enhance the dignity of the police service through your professional approach in handling different kinds of cases.”
The CM said his government has introduced the most modern and latest methods of police training by employing highly professional trainers from the Pakistan Army. “We have enhanced the salaries, allowances and compensation for the martyrs’ families, and in the new budget we have upgraded the police pay scale. On top of that, policemen’s selection is made purely on merit, so the newly recruited and trained policemen have to prove themselves an asset to the department and society.”
Earlier, the CM inspected the passing-out parade of the ASIs, distributed medals and certificates, and announced one basic salary for each of the position holders in the training. The newly trained ASIs demonstrated their professionalism by conducting a mock police encounter with dacoits and protesters.
IGP Memon said on the occasion that in 1994, the then CM Syed Abdullah Shah, father of the incumbent provincial chief executive, had visited the Shahdadpur centre and upgraded it to the level of a training college.
The officer said that the then CM had also established a firing range at the centre, but it is in a shambles now. On this the CM announced that the firing range would be reconstructed. The IGP pointed out that Rs3,000 feeding charges of under-training cops and probationers was being deducted from their salaries. On this the CM announced paying Rs5,000 as feeding charges to probationers every month.
On the conclusion of the passing-out parade programme, the CM visited MPA Thahim at his residence, the Thahim House, where he held a meeting with leaders and workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
The CM said on the occasion that workers are the assets of the party. “Our workers have to help people, particularly the poor, in solving their problems,” he said, adding that the PPP’s Sindh government is serving the people of the province without any discrimination.