City police chief wants law for security of vulnerable set-ups implemented

Showing concern over neglect of a security law passed a year ago, the Karachi police chief, Additional IG Ghulam Nabi Memon, has ordered his subordinates to implement the law in its letter and spirit.

Talking to The News, addl IG Memon said recently he held a meeting over the security situation in the city that focused on the street crime and Sindh government’s law ‘Sindh Security of Vulnerable Establishment Ordinance’, which had not been implemented. The meeting was attended by the DIGs of the East, West and South ranges and other officers.

He explained that the meeting discussed in length the overall security situation of the city and it was informed that during the past three months, there was a drastic decrease in street crime. However, the participants agreed that there was still room for improvement and a strategy needed to be formed to counter the rising incidents of short-term kidnappings in the city.

The Karachi police chief was of the view that the issues of street crime and short-term kidnappings were different. He said the criminal gangs, who earlier had safe havens and used to target people for money, had been dismantled by the police and now those criminals had started short-term kidnappings and street crime to generate money.

He remarked that the Investigation Branch had obtained footage of criminal activities in the city. He said earlier, police officials had neglected such footage as they did not develop the sketches of the criminals seen in them, but now he had issued strict directions to take help from the footage to catch the culprits.

The station house officers (SHOs) have also been directed to develop a list of hardcore criminals, including the proclaimed offenders and absconders, as such criminals have become a factor behind the rising street crime and short-term kidnappings, the Karachi additional IG said.

He added that had warned the SHOs that if any of them was found negligent in performing their duty in controlling crime, they would be suspended and a departmental inquiry would be initiated against them.

Addl IG Memon said about a year had passed since the Sindh government passed the Sindh Security of Vulnerable Establishment Ordinance for the purpose to provide security to the vulnerable establishments. He explained that according to the law, the management of vulnerable establishments had been made responsible for making appropriate security arrangements there.

He said under the section 14, the police had been authorised to take legal action against the management of security establishments if they failed to comply with the law which was cognisable and non-bailable and the person who violated the law was liable to be imprisoned for up to six months and pay a fine of up to Rs45,000.

He said copies of the Sindh Security of Vulnerable Establishment Ordinance had been sent to police officials for ready reference and they were directed to go through it and take immediate steps to constitute the Security Advisory Committee in coordination with the relevant deputy commissioner as provided in the section 3(1) of the ordinance.

The Karachi police chief added that the law also made it incumbent on major business hubs to install CCTV cameras. He stated that a committee had been formed under the supervisions of sub-divisional police officers of all the three Ranges of Karachi – East, South and West – and they were also directed to issue notices to relevant circles and implement the law in letter and spirit.

Addl IG Memon said the security project included the installation of 10,000 cameras throughout Karachi and the police had planned to complete it within six months.