Thebo wants 500-strong force to fight terror

Karachi
Fearing that terrorism would become an even bigger problem for Karachi in the coming years, the city’s police chief has proposed forming a counter-terrorism branch comprising 500 cops - especially trained to deal with terrorists, target killers and gangsters.
“I have formally proposed to the government that a counter-terrorism branch of the Karachi police should be formed,” Additional IGP Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo told The News. “The Karachi police are not trained and equipped to deal with terrorists,” he added.
The proposal has been forwarded to the provincial government through the home department.
Thebo said the proposed counter-terrorism branch would be headed by a DIG and have three departments - the intelligence or data analysis section, the operational section and the investigation branch - each run by an SSP-rank official.
“The counter-terrorism branch will initially comprise 500 policemen, some from the existing force and others who will be recruited and trained,” the official said.
The new branch will be trained on the pattern of the special forces, and its intelligence and investigation sections will follow the procedures of modern spy agencies and international police departments.

‘Soft’ targets
Thebo said policemen were being killed in the city on a regular basis. “Terrorists, target killers and gangsters find policemen to be soft targets in comparison with Rangers who are well-trained and better equipped,” the official explained.
“We have lost hundreds of cops in the fight against terrorism and organised crime in Karachi in recent years,” he added. “We are fighting on many fronts in Karachi and the force will gradually become demoralised.”
Sixteen policemen have been killed in Karachi in the first three weeks of the current year.
The official said two policemen were shot dead in Samnabad by Jundullah, two in Lyari by gangsters and two in Nazimabad by terrorists affiliated with a political party.

‘Revamp CID’
The additional IGP Karachi said the Sindh police’s Criminal Investigation Department had become “stagnant” and “infamous” and needed to be revamped.
“The CID has become useless and fails to assist the regular police by tracking down terrorists and other criminals,” he added.
“I have also formally suggested that the CID be revamped, renamed the provincial counter-terrorism department on the pattern of the one in Punjab and purged of its incompetent and corrupt officials.”

Bureaucratic hurdles
The Karachi police chief also criticised bureaucrats for creating hurdles in the functioning of the police force.
“Most proposals, suggestions and requests forwarded by the Karachi police are either turned down by bureaucrats or put on the backburner, frustrating us and demoralising our force,” he said.
“The home department has still not entertained the Karachi police’s request to announce head money for the arrest of 218 terrorists and other criminals,” he added.
Thebo said whether his proposals were accepted or not, it was his job to continue pressing the authorities for what was required to eliminate crime and fight terrorism. “The ball is now in the court of the decision-makers.”