CM blames caretaker govt for lawlessness

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and former caretaker home minister Brig (retd) Haris Nawaz on Thursday traded blame as the authorities have failed to contain a spike in violent crimes across the province particularly in Karachi.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the Trauma Centre in Karachi to enquire after the health of those injured in the road accident while en route to the Shah Noorani shrine, the CM said the law and order situation in the province worsened due to a major reshuffle in the police department by the caretaker government ahead of the February 8 general elections.

“This reshuffle affected the entire policing system, from additional inspector generals to station house officers. However, the government is taking strict measures to improve the overall law and order situation, including in Karachi, rural areas, and particularly in the katcha (riverine) area.”

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government had improved law and order all over Sindh in the past, and the current government is committed to ensuring the same, he added.

He stated that the police and Rangers were conducting a joint operation against the dacoits in the Katcha area of Kashmore. Additionally, a significant number of street criminals had been arrested during targeted operations in Karachi, he remarked.

Shah mentioned that in 2008, when there was no PPP government in Sindh, Karachi was ranked as the seventh most dangerous city in the world by the International Crime Index. During his visit to the Trauma Centre, the chief minister expressed sorrow over the tragic Hub Road accident in which at least 18 persons, including two children, lost their lives, and over 80 got wounded. Later, he also offered the funeral prayers for 15 victims of the accident at Qasim Jokhio Goth in Thatta. He also promised to compensate the families of the victims who passed away in the accident.

Nawaz responds

Former caretaker home minister Brig (retd) Haris Nawaz rejected the Sindh CM's remarks that the law and order situation was disturbed during the interim tenure.

He mentioned that the caretaker government did not appoint any superintendent police (SP), deputy superintendent police (DSP) or SHO. Nawaz claimed that the inspector general of police (IGP) approved all the postings in the police department after the security clearance.

“The Sindh CM has his own point of view, but we approved postings of the officers with good reputation,” he said and claimed that the crime rate in the province was low during the tenure of the caretaker set up between August 2023 and February 2024.