CID to be turned into dedicated anti-terror force

Karachi
A four-hour meeting of the Sindh Police’s top cadre regarding a provincial counter-terrorism policy on Friday ended with consensus over a complete reformation of the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
As per details acquired by The News, the CID is in line for a structural and administrative overhaul; along with being made an independent unit and renamed as the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the force would be solely tasked with terror related cases and operations.
This plan was finalised in Friday’s meeting at the Central Police Office which had been convened by IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali in view of increasing terror threats across the province. Along with Additional Inspector General Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo, DIGs of all zones of Karachi and interior Sindh, as well as SSPs, attended the meeting.
A senior official, requesting anonymity, told The News that Karachi and Sindh have been on high alert in view of the impending militant executions. He also confirmed another source’s claim regarding interception of threat calls from operatives of banned outfits. He also alluded to militants’ successful infiltration in Karachi and said all efforts were being made to hunt them down.

Restructuring breakdown
As for the meeting, various strategy proposals were mulled over by the province’s senior policemen before AIG Thebo’s suggestion regarding a dedicated anti-terror force was approved, albeit with certain modifications.
Along with its renaming as the CTD, officials said it was also decided that the units created within the department – Counter Terrorism Wing, Sectarian Cell, Anti-Extremism Cell and Financial Crime Unit – would be dissolved and all their personnel incorporated in the new setup.
The CTD would be headed by a DIG and have separate SSPs supervising operations in Karachi, Hyderabad and Larkana. An additional post in the new-look department would be SP Administration, who would serve under the DIG and function as the main liaison officer between him and the SSPs.
Furthermore, SSPs would be appointed to head CTD units including Technical & Forensics and Research & Analysis. Each unit would be working independently with the SSP as the focal person, who shall act on the DIG’s behalf.
The force would also have a SP Operations, SP Investigation and SP Intelligence Wing reporting to the SSPs who, in turn, would report directly to the DIG CTD.

Training and equipment
Officials said the CTD would be equipped with latest weaponry and armoury, while at least 1,000 constables, head constables and assistant sub-inspectors would also be inducted.
As for training methods, the CTD personnel have been undergoing rigorous regimes under the supervision of Pakistan Army officers.
The officials claimed that all CTD men have been familiarised with strategic response techniques and said the department would be made functional in the coming days.
Hate material, chalking
The meeting also included discussions over the need to curb dissemination of hate literature and removal of wall chalking and flags of banned outfits.
In this regard, directives were issued to the heads of the Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur Ranges for an immediate and indiscriminate operation.
IGP Jamali said the increase in wall chalking with sectarian content was a leading cause for the rise in inter-faith violence in Karachi and Sindh. All respective SSPs, SPs, SDPOs and SHOs were also ordered to ensure the removal of wall chalking, flags and banners.
As per the orders, the exercise would be conducted in coordination with the Special Branch Sindh and the IGP also sought a progress report at the earliest.