Lack of resources affecting fight against street crime, admits IGP

The police department is working on developing a strategy to bring street crimes to an end in Karachi, but it lacks the resources needed to do so, said Inspector General Police AD Khowaja on Thursday.

“How can a population of over 20 million people be possibly monitored through only 2,500 cameras?” said the Sindh police chief while addressing the passing out parade of the 5th Recruit Course and 37th Eaglet Course at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Elite Police Training Centre (SBBEPTC), Razzakabad.

Talking about steps being taken to improve law and order, the IGP said 25,000 new recruits have been added to the Sindh police force and efforts were underway to purchase vehicles, armoured personnel carriers and ambulances for logistical support.

He added that the police force had managed to apprehend 200 street criminals in the city in the past 15 days. A total of 819 cadets passed the Recruit Course of which 813 belonged to Karachi, while among the cadets who passed the Eaglet Course, 275 were women, of which 49 belonged to Karachi and more than 200 were from other parts of Sindh.

IGP Khowaja congratulated the recruits and also handed out awards to those who performed exceptionally during their training. In his speech, he told the recruits that the police’s top priority is upholding Pakistan’s Constitution and protecting the life and property of every citizen of the country.

“You are not anyone’s private employee. You have joined police force to serve the country,” he said. “Your family, in-laws and friends are proud of you. I hope you will perform well and never disappoint me.”

Urging them to make the oath they had taken a part of their practical life, the police chief told the recruits to serve the public and the country, and to play their due role in maintenance of law and order and the fight against crime.

AD Khowaja told the recruits that they should be proud of themselves as they were appointed employees of the state on merit. He added it was his wish to make all appointments in the Sindh police on merit and to introduce reforms in the police department.

He also lauded steps taken by SBBEPTC Razzakabad Commandant Faisal Abdullah Chahchar to improve the standard of training. This centre has emerged as a recognised police training centre as far as improvement in cops’ training is concerned, he said

Discussing the extra-judicial murder of Waziristan-native Naqeebullah Mehsud, who killed in January in a ‘police encounter’ in Shah Latif Town, the IGP said the deceased man was an innocent citizen.

“The police personnel involved in the Naqeebullah murder case will be punished like [ordinary] criminals,” he said. Speaking to journalists after the passing out parade, IGP Khowaja said he had dismissed cops who were appointed in the force illegally. The dismissed cops were given an opportunity to improve their performance, but only 500 of them could meet the merit in the retest, he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Sindh High Court had directed the provincial police chief and home secretary among others to file their comments on a petition seeking orders for the government and law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) to take action to control the rampant street crime in Karachi.

Petitioner Muzammil Mumtaz said in his petition that street crime has been increasing across the city, and citizens are being deprived of their valuables. He said muggers are targeting citizens without appearing on the radar screen of police and other LEAs.

He said several persons have lost their lives or been injured while resisting mugging attempts, but the LEAs have failed to protect the citizens. He pointed out that many incidents have been reported in District East, especially in the Landhi and Korangi areas.

He accused the investigation agencies of performing their duties dishonestly, saying that police investigation officers do not bother to investigate street crime. He requested that the court direct the LEAs to take action against muggers and protect the citizens. He also asked the court to direct the DIGs to summon the record of street crime that has taken place in their respective jurisdictions.