Odho assumes charge as city police chief, orders action to curb street crime

Karachi Additional IG Javed Alam Odho presided over the introductory meeting at the Karachi Police Office on Friday after assuming charge of the city police chief.

Officials said the meeting was attended by the DIGs of the CIA, traffic, security, investigation, and Karachi Range, the district SSPs and other senior police officers. The meeting discussed law and order and other issues and presented a clear strategy.

Odho issued orders to the officers to eliminate crime in the city, maintain law and order and protect the life and property of the people. Earlier, upon his arrival at the Karachi Police Office, Additional IG Odho was welcomed by DIG Admin Imran Yaqoob and other senior police officers. Odho took charge as additional IG.

Officials said Odho called upon the participants of the meeting to curb the menace of street crime from the city. He was informed that the Karachi police had arrested several suspects involved in various crimes from 2022 till date and most of the street criminals were being identified through CCTV cameras.

The meeting was also informed that the Safe City project is currently in the process of being launched. Moreover, the force is insisting that cameras should be installed in collaboration with the public-private sector and the Karachi Police have been working on this project for the last four years.

Regarding house robberies or other crimes, Additional IG Odho directed the officers to implement measures for better law and order and inform the public through various information means that before hiring an employee they must get verified the details from the police station as in many cases it was also witnessed that the employees were involved crime.

On Thursday, the Sindh government had issued directives to the Services General Administration and Coordination Department for transferring Karachi’s Additional IG Imran Yaqoob Minhas and appointing Odho as new police chief.

They said Odho’s name was finalised after consultation with Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who was said to be concerned over the law and order situation in Sindh, especially the rising street crime in Karachi.

In his several meetings, he had discussed in length the Karachi situation and on Thursday it was finalised to reappoint Odho as Karachi police chief. Odho had been earlier working as the city police chief before the caretaker setup and had been removed during the period.

Moreover, he was also found suitable for the position due to his previous working at the post especially in handling the law and order situation in the city.

Officials said Additional IG Odho had joined the police force in the year 1994 (22nd CTP) and has severed at many field positions during his service, which include SDPO Larkana in 1998. Afterwards he was transferred to the Karachi Range where he was posted as SP Central, SP East, SP Driving Licence branch. In the year 2000 he proceeded to Kosovo under the UN mission for one year.

Upon his return, he was posted as DPO Ghotki, DPO Badin, DPO Dadu, DPO Jamshoro and then moved to the Special Branch as SP Political Branch, Sindh. Moreover, after being promoted to the rank of SSP in 2007 he was posted as SSP Principal PTC Saeedabad, SSP District East and also held other positions.

In 2013 after being promoted to the rank of DIG he was posted as DIG Special Branch Sukkur, DIG West Range Karachi, DIG RRF Karachi, DIG Sukkur Range, DIG Larkana Range, DIG Admin Karachi Range, DIG Hyderabad, and DIG South Zone.

Later, Odho went to the National Management Course to Lahore in the year 2019 and his services were placed at the government of Balochistan’s disposal and later in the year 2021 after an Establishment Division Islamabad notification he was promoted to the rank of Additional IG (BPS-21).

After being promoted to BPS-21 Odho was posted as Additional IG Research and Development Sindh in 2022, then as Additional IG Special Branch, and on June 3, 2022 he was posted as Additional IG Karachi Range. Later, he was transferred from the post during the caretaker setup on September 5, 2023, and since then he had been awaiting posting.