Two SHOs suspended for ‘harassing citizens’

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sultaan Ali Khwaja of the East Range has taken notice of public complaints against two station house officers (SHOs) and suspended them.

He said on Wednesday that a citizen, Tariq, approached him and complained that Inspector Rao Zakir, SHO of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, allegedly picked up labourers from his under-construction building and demanded a bribe to release them.

An inquiry was conducted and the SHO was placed under suspension. According to other complaints against him, Inspector Zakir patronises illegal activities, including encroachments and harassment of law-abiding citizens who construct their houses in his area of responsibility.

DIG Khwaja said the SHO was suspended for also registering an FIR against Haji Saleem, owner of Mehfooz Sheermaal, who had the power of attorney of a property belonging to his brother-in-law, Najumil Arfeen, who had been living in Bahrain for 40 years. The SHO also allegedly got a case of kidnapping for ransom lodged against an innocent citizen on a fake complaint of land grabbers.

Over 30 FIRs have been registered against land grabbers and their companions. Also on Wednesday, a special team under the DIG conducted a raid on a gambling and narcotics den in Sharafi Goth, seized a huge quantity of narcotics and arrested gamblers.

The den was being run allegedly under the patronage of Sub-Inspector Wilayat Shah, the SHO of Sharafi Goth, who was receiving Rs200,000 per day for his support. The SHO has been placed under suspension and departmental proceedings have been initiated against him.

MVT campaign

On the directives of Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control Mukesh Kumar Chawla has said a campaign will be launched on December 11 across the province to take action against owners who have not paid the motor vehicle tax.

He said this while chairing a meeting in his office on Wednesday. Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control Secretary Abdul Haleem Shaikh, Director General Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and other officers attended the meeting.

Briefing the meeting, Siddiqui said that to achieve the desired results, seven teams consisting of officers had been constituted in Karachi alone, and a number of teams had been formed by the regional directors and those teams would be headed by deputy directors /ETOs to check vehicles at various points in all districts of their divisions. He further stated that in Karachi the teams would check vehicles from 3.30pm to 5:30pm daily from December 11 to December 14 at the Mazar-e-Quaid, Shahrah-e- Quaideen, Muslimabad, Gulistan School, Kharadar, Keamari, Queens Road, Clifton, Bath Island, DHA Qabristan, Sunset Boulevard, Tooba Masjid, Shaheen Complex, PIDC, Mai Kolachi Bypass, Gulbai, Crown Cinema, Pakola Chowrangi, Johar Chowrangi, Metro Cash and Carry, Pehlwan Goth, PIB Colony, Teen Hatti, Soldier Bazaar and Lasbela.

He said the campaign was being launched against the owners of vehicles over the non-payment of the motor vehicle tax, the plying of vehicles without the transfer of ownership and the endorsement of the new engine, as well as against motorcycles.