Sindh apex body finalises steps to crush terrorism

KARACHI: The Apex Committee Thursday assessed the recent surge in terrorism in the country and decided to crush every threat, including terrorism, drug peddling, street crime and dacoits in the province through an intelligence-based and well-coordinated targeted operation.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over the 28th meeting of the Apex Committee.

Provincial cabinet members Nasir Shah, Sharjeel Memon, Murtaza Wahab, Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, DG Rangers Maj Gen Azhar Waqas, IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon, Home Secretary Saeed Mangnejo, Principal Secretary to CM Fayaz Jatoi, Additional IG Karachi Javed Odho, Additional IG Special Branch Khadim Rind, Prosecutor General Sindh, provincial heads of intelligence agencies and other concerned attended the meeting.

The chief minister also decided that the three IGPs of Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan would sit together and chalk out a complete plan to launch an operation against the dacoits in the katcha area of Sindh for which all the law-enforcement agencies would support them. “I want the operation against the bandits decisive to get rid of them once and for all,” the CM categorically said.

At the outset of the meeting, street crime came under discussion. The CM said the CPLC had reported 85,000 cases of street crime during 2022 in Karachi alone and asked IG Police Ghulam Nabi to brief the meeting.

The IGP said four different crimes — bike snatching, car snatching, mobile snatching, and robberies constituted the street crime. He said 85,000 cases of street crime in the year 2022 meant 7,000 cases were happening every month in the city. He said 50 percent of the total street crime cases were of bike snatching. Ghulam Nabi Memon told the meeting that during 2022, the police conducted 2,258 encounters against criminals and busted 1,259 gangs, arrested 16,621 dacoits/terrorists and killed 204.

Showing an interesting fact sheet about the release of repeat offenders involved in street crime, the IGP told the Apex Committee that 1,655 criminals who had already committed at least three street crimes were arrested but they were bailed out by the court within one week to six months of their arrest. He said eight criminals were released by the courts within one week and 26 criminals within two weeks of their arrest.

At this, the chief minister asked his Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab about the progress in the passage of Sindh Habitual Offenders Monitoring Bill-2021 by the provincial assembly. Murtaza Wahab told the CM that the bill had been sent to the Standing Committee on Home of the provincial assembly for soliciting public opinion as per the rules of the assembly.

The IG Police briefed the meeting about the crime situation in the Katcha areas.

The chief minister directed the IG Police to hold a meeting with the IGPs of Punjab and Balochistan and work out a detailed plan to launch a well-organised operation against the dacoits. The corps commander said that the army and Rangers would also help the police in the operation. “The operation must be so powerful that the threat of dacoits is eliminated once and for all,” said the CM.

The chief minister was briefed about the police deployment in the upcoming local bodies election scheduled to take place on January 15, 2023 in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions. It was disclosed that there would be 4,995 polling stations where 25,340 cops would be deployed.

A quick response force (QRF) has been formed to provide security to 2,728 buildings to be used for the election purposes. One QRF would be given two mobile vans and 14 cops for guarding 10 buildings. There would be 273 QRF units to be mobilised with 564 mobile vans and 2,833 policemen.