Seven policemen test positive for coronavirus in Karachi

Seven policemen have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and sent to isolation centres established by the government of Sindh, said Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon on Monday.

Talking to The News, Additional IGP Memon said seven officials of the Sindh Police Department were found to have been infected with the virus.

He said the cops had not been performing lockdown duties, but they had been deployed as drivers or working at offices of various units of the Karachi police. He added that the cops were at their homes when they contracted the disease.

The patients include a driver of the Karachi police administration department, a personal staff officer, a gunman and a staffer of the investigation department. Memon said clear directions had been issued to first adopt preventives measures, including the wearing of masks and gloves and maintaining distance from each other. Moreover, he said, he had planned to give a day-off to officials who were performing duties at this crucial time considering their health.

He added that it was decided that all station house officers of police stations and deputy superintendents of police posted in Karachi would get the facility of the weekly day-off like the holiday facility available to people associated with other services.

Similarly, the Karachi police chief decided that all police personnel would get the facility of the weekly day-off. In this regard, the Karachi police department has given orders to all DIGs and SSPs posted in Karachi. Under the new plan of service, the DSPs will get the facility of the weekly day-off on Saturdays while the SHOs will get the same facility on Sundays.

On Sundays, the additional SHOs would act as SHOs of the police stations. The police personnel associated with every police station would similarly get the facility of a day-off under a proper time table.

Earlier, Additional IGP Memon directed that the police should ensure a crackdown against those persons who were making this difficult time an opportunity for themselves by collecting rations from different organisations and selling them in the market.

In this regard, the media has been requested to highlight and encourage the public to inform police about such swindlers so that effective action may be taken.

He also told the range DIGs and district SSPs in a meeting to ensure peace and security in Karachi during the coronavirus emergency.

Memon said that the range DIGs and the district SSPs would personally inspect their reserves and ensure inclusion of the most suitable manpower, besides giving them appropriate anti-riot gear for duties.

He added that the district SSPs should gear up their intelligence mechanism and collect information from the underprivileged localities in their AoR for any food shortage.

The welfare organisations will be encouraged to supply rations in such areas which are reported to have a shortage of food, under the mechanism worked out by the government. The additional IG of the Special Branch of Sindh police will also be requested to collect such information and share data horizontally at the district and zonal levels.