Major reshuffle in Sindh police on the cards

A major reshuffle in the Sindh police is expected in the coming days, as the provincial government has finalised some names for the posts of the inspector general of police, Karachi’s additional inspector general and deputy inspector generals of Karachi Range.

Officials said on Saturday that in a recent meeting, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah showed dissatisfaction over the performance of the current officials posted in Karachi and the interior of Sindh, especially in controlling street crime in Karachi.

They added that the CM also reviewed the operations carried out against the Katcha dacoits and asked why the operations which they had started in their last tenure did not continue and a slow pace was seen in actions. He directed that the revival of all the non-functional check posts established in the riverine area be ensured to control kidnappings for ransom.

“I want the strength of police stations must be increased from 12,000 policemen to 24,000 across the 108 police stations in the city,” he said.

At the outset of the meeting, the chief minister said the dacoits had established their sway in the riverine areas of Larkana and Sukkur divisions. “I am not happy with the increasing trend of street crime and kidnapping for ransom in Larkana and Sukkur divisions,” he said and added that he wanted a targeted operation against the drug mafia to eliminate them properly.

Officials said the Sindh government had finalised the name of former IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon and decided to write a letter to the federal government for his appointment as IGP again. Moreover, describing the policies made by Memon during his one and a half years of tenure, the officials said that he had made remarkable changes in the department which had never been adopted by any IGP who had served in Sindh.

They added that Memon, after taking charge as PPO, had taken a number of decisions of which the most important was the reorganization of the structure of the Sindh Police Department on modern lines, which includes a hi-tech mechanism including the establishment of a specialized unit to control violence against women, especially the menace of Karo-Kari. This unit will focus on the districts of upper Sindh where most of the cases of violence against women are reported. The development also includes the upgradation of the investigation department.

Moreover, the establishment of a Talaash App was another decision that includes data of criminals and enables patrolling staff to easily access details of offenders or proclaimed offenders. Tto eradicate the menace of narcotics from the province, Memon had formed a vigilance team by utilizing the services of the Special Branch Sindh that carries raids for eradicating the menace of narcotics. During operations in his time, several police officers were arrested, dismissed or suspended for having links with criminal groups.

The establishment of a surveillance unit or the Safe City Project, including the installation of scanning cameras at the toll plazas of the city, can also help in catching criminals and arresting vehicle lifters who are trying to carry such vehicles from Karachi to other provinces.

Another big initiative of Ghulam Nabi Memon was carrying out an operation against the dacoits in the Katcha area of Sindh and he had personally supervised the operation. In the Katcha area, 35 persons, including seven children, were recovered during a crackdown against kidnappers in the last 3-4 months. A gang of notorious criminal gang of Janu Indar and Soomar Shar was eliminated and eight of their gang members were killed.

Officials said the names for Karachi’s additional IG was also being finalized, besides the names of three Karachi Range DIGs. It is expected that in the coming week several changes will have taken place in the police force.