Sindh police to hire private guards amid shortage of over 16,000 cops for LG poll duty

After the refusal of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to delay the local government polls in Karachi on a request from the Sindh government, provincial police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon decided to hire private security guards after a meeting which he chaired on Friday was told there was shortage of more than 16,000 cops to ensure peaceful elections.

The meeting, which was held at the Central Police Office, also decided that officials of security companies would meet next week in this regard, said officials.

They said the meeting was attended by senior police officials, including Karachi’s Additional IG Javed Alam Odho. It was decided that security should be made extraordinary during the October 16 by-elections in NA- 237 and NA-239, and security measures for the local government elections should be made foolproof at all levels.

The ECP has announced that the second phase of the LG polls will be conducted in Karachi on October 23. Consequently, Sindh Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon was informed that they had worked out a plan for the deployment of a police force in view of the sensitivity of polling stations as per the instructions from the ECP for the provision of security and to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.

The meeting told that there were about 4,995 polling stations in Karachi Range, of which about 1,300 were most sensitive while 3,600 were sensitive. In this regard, the police high-ups decided to deploy about 23,419 policemen at the polling stations; however, the total needed deployment was of more than 39,000 cops and the force available was 22,500, thereby showing a shortage of 16,786 police personnel.

IGP Memon was informed that Karachi Range had envisaged a deployment of 39,293 police personnel, out of whom 14,958 had to be provided and arranged from districts of the interior of Sindh, while a reserve of 7,150 was planned to be raised from auxiliaries to meet the shortfall as per the scales given by ECP. However, at present, the meeting was told, the department can only gather only a few thousand police personnel from all available resources, which too is possible theoretically if all Karachi police force deployed to support the flood relief operation in the interior of Sindh is called back to duty in Karachi.

Moreover, Karachi Police will not be able to avail all human resources from its other units (security and traffic), as all available reserved police and traffic personnel are deployed on highways in the interior of Sindh to manage traffic (due to the destruction of certain sections of roads) and provide security to relief vehicles in light of increasing snatchings and public disturbances on highways and in districts due to the flood situation.

Officials said Karachi Range had earlier planned to raise 7,150 auxiliaries from lady health visitors, recruits awaiting training (out of whom 1,800 have joined training) private security guards and those from other government departments.

In the wake of the monsoon floods, the availability of all auxiliaries is improbable, exacerbating the shortfall to 16,786. The enormous shortfall of manpower required for LG elections’ second phase cannot be met without the deployment of the police force from the interior of Sindh (police from the interior of Sindh are unavailable due to floods for at least three months).

Officials said IGP Memon informed the meeting that despite these facts they had to meet the shortfall that they were facing. It was suggested to the IGP that they should hire security company guards and also consult other departments to overcome the shortfall of the manpower. IGP Memon agreed to the proposal and decided to hold a meeting next week to finalise the security plan for LG polls and overcome the shortfall of manpower.