PM, COAS caution Sindh govt to deliver

ISLAMABAD: The Sindh government has been told that it needs to do a lot to bring peace in Karachi, which continues to be the victim of terrorism, target killings, extortions, kidnapping etc because of politicised police and indifferent administration.
Sources said that a strong message has been conveyed to the provincial government, which is being pushed to do the needful to save Karachi, which according to a source, is like saving Pakistan. In the present state of affairs, it is said, things can’t improve.
According to an official source, both the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Raheel Sharif want focused Rangers-Police operation without any political interference from any side to get the desired result of bringing peace in the city. General Raheel termed the de-politicisation of the Karachi police as critical and spoke against political interference in postings and transfers of police officers.
The Sindh government, sources in the provincial bureaucracy say, is rightly warned as every key posting and transfer in the province including in the police department is now being decided by one Jalal Shah, who represents an influential political figure.
A Sindh police official, on condition of not being named, lamented that the police situation is worse as even the SHOs are being appointed on political basis instead of merit. Consequently, it is said that the crime goes unchecked.
Interestingly, over three years back in October 2011 the Supreme Court had directed the government to take certain measures including the de-politicisation of the police department but nothing has been done on ground as yet despite the lapse of such a long period.
The SC in its order had said that in order to get out of the grave situation of law and order in Karachi, police force being principal law enforcing agency has to be de-politicised and strengthened so that they could, with full commitment, dedication, zeal and zest, perform its bounden duty. “Unless there is a de-politicised police, the situation of law and order is likely to become more aggravated,” the Supreme Court had said but the provincial government did not do the needful.
The then IGP was also directed to pay compensation to all those police and other officials, who were murdered for taking part in the Karachi operations of 1992 and 1996 or were witnesses in ethnic or related crimes.
The apex court had also directed that an independent and a de-politicised investigation agency be deputed to conduct investigation of heinous cases fairly, honestly and without being influenced in any manner. It was also ordered that the prosecution agency comprising competent prosecutors and the provincial government/executive must provide protection to the witnesses so that they may depose against the perpetrators of crimes without any fear, enabling the courts to decide cases against them in accordance with law. But here too nothing has been done.
The apex court had also directed DG NADRA and the IGP to set up a special joint cell with specialised officials and experts along with sufficient manpower to establish several teams to visit on the spot and identify illegal foreigners so that they may be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law after proper hearing and opportunity to present proof of their citizenship. One year was given to complete this exercise.
To save Karachi from illegal shutter-downs and strikes, the provincial government was asked to take necessary steps that protection is provided to business community against such illegalities. The provincial government was also expected to evolve in consultation with the political parties a respectable way out to avoid such a situation in future.
The Police and Rangers were also expected by the SC to conduct operation across the board without showing any favour to any one and without being influenced from any quarter, be it political or otherwise. In case they are asked to obey any illegal orders or to show leniency to any criminal, the SC directed them to bring it to the notice of the court for appropriate orders.
To avoid political polarisation and to break the cycle of ethnic strife and turf war, boundaries of administrative units like police stations, revenue estates, etc., were also to be altered as per the SC order but here too nothing has been done on ground.
The SC order clearly indicated that there are criminals who have succeeded in making their ways into political parties, notwithstanding whether they are components or non-components of government, and are getting political and financial support allegedly from such parties. The political parties were asked to denounce their affiliation with such criminal elements in the interest of the country and democratic setup. The political parties were also asked not to allow them to use their names as militant outfits of the political parties. “Failure to do so may entail consequences of a penal nature against the party or person responsible, whether in office or not,” the SC order had warned.