Police officers shirking duties will be sent packing, warns IGP Khowaja

Sindh Inspector General of Police AD Khowaja ordered the police force on Thursday to launch a crackdown on street crimes, drug dens and smuggled Iranian petrol and diesel, Geo News reported.

The performance of police officers was being monitored, warning that those showing dereliction of duty would be removed from the office, he said while addressing a ceremony of police officers.

Police officers, including deputy inspectors general, senior superintendent of police, deputy superintendent of police and station house officers, attended the gathering.

Khowaja directed that terrorists should be arrested and brought to justice. He said every possible step should be undertaken for the eradication of street crimes.

He stated that performance reports of the station house officers (SHOs) were being received, and those SHOs had been warned against whom there were reports by the agencies.

He directed that police officials who suffered injuries in the fight against terrorists be provided with the best possible medical treatment.

The IGP appreciated the work of the CTD’s Raja Umar Khattab and also praised the work of the SSP East.

The crackdown order followed the release of statistics by the Citizens-Liaison Police Committee, which showed that street crimes were still very much menacing the people of Karachi.

Four people were gunned down and nine others wounded by muggers during the first 20 days of Ramazan when the victims resisted the snatching attempts, compared to two killings and 18 injuries in the corresponding period last year, while 611 locals were deprived of their mobile phones, compared to 696 snatchings last year.

Sixty-nine four-wheelers were stolen and 13 others snatched, compared to 105 thefts and 12 snatchings last year, while 1,287 two-wheelers were stolen and 154 others snatched, compared to 1,437 thefts and 163 snatchings last year. Statistics released by the Citizens-Liaison Police Committee (CPLC) show that street crimes are still very much menacing the people of Karachi, The News has learnt.

Four people were gunned down and nine others wounded by muggers during the first 20 days of Ramazan when the victims resisted the snatching attempts, compared to two killings and 18 injuries in the corresponding period last year, while 611 locals were deprived of their mobile phones, compared to 696 snatchings last year.

Sixty-nine four-wheelers were stolen and 13 others snatched, compared to 105 thefts and 12 snatchings last year, while 1,287 two-wheelers were stolen and 154 others snatched, compared to 1,437 thefts and 163 snatchings last year.

Thirty-eight cases of robberies at houses, factories, offices and shops were reported across the city, compared to 41 such cases last year, while no bank, filling station or post office was robbed this year or the previous year during the first 20 days of Ramazan, there was one case of robbery reported at the airport this year.

IGP Khowaja has been embroiled in a tug of war with the Sindh government.

On May 30, the Sindh High Court extended its stay order against the removal of the provincial police chief by the government.

A notification issued by the government that replaced Khowaja with Sardar Abdul Majeed Dasti as inspector general of police, was suspended by the SHC on April 3.

Khowaja was appointed as IGP on March 13, 2016.