CM Sindh orders vigorous targeted operation in Karachi against street criminals

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GEO NEWS
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KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday directed the police department to launch a vigorously targeted operation against street criminals and their supporters.

He gave these directions while presiding over a special meeting this morning on law and order particularly on street crime in the city.

CM said that he was not happy with the facts and figures of street crime presented in the cabinet meeting on Thursday. “This is why I have convened a follow-up meeting to review the rate of street crime and devise a pragmatic strategy to crush the street criminals”, he said.

Additional IG Karachi Mushtaq Maher giving a 15-day comparative figure of street crime as collected by CPLC said that in 2015 some 19 four wheelers were snatched and in 2016 the figure dropped to seven.

Talking about four wheelers theft, he said that in 2015, 92 four wheelers were stolen, in 2016 the figure came down slightly to 73 and in 2017 it has further come down to 52.

He said that the two wheeler snatching in 2015 was 152 and in 2016 it came down to 114 and in 2017 it has been recorded at 65.

Discussing the two wheelers theft, he said that in 2015 it was 592 in 2016 the figure slightly dropped 762 and in 2017 it is 734.

Maher added that the mobile snatching in 2015 was 1187, in 2016 it was 791 and in 2017 it is 530.

On this, the Chief Minister said that though the figures have come down but it is a fact that street crime persists in the city and the complaints of the citizens are genuine.

He said that 13 police stations are most affected in terms of mobile snatching, four and two-wheeler theft and snatching.

He added that in 2016, some 1548 street criminals were arrested and challaned of them 14 were convicted and three acquitted.” Presently 1082 are in jail and 449 are on the bail.”

IG AD Khawaja said that there was a link between street crime and narcotic addiction. “The criminals mostly come from slum area.”

He said that the sanctioned strength for Karachi police is 39, 589 against which 27, 389 are posted working which shows a shortfall of 12200 policemen.

On this the Murad Ali Shah allowed the IG to fill recruitment on merit It was pointed out that the population of New Delhi is 16 million and they have a force of 84, 536 policemen which show a ratio of one policeman on 198 people.

New York has 8.5 million population with 49, 526 police force which means there is a ratio of 1-172. Lahore has a population of over 10 million with a 27, 146 police force which shows a ratio of 1-381.

It was pointed out that Karachi has a population of 22 million with 27, 389 police force which makes a ratio of 1-803.

On this, the Chief Minister said that the police and population ratio is not bad in the city. “There may be some administrative issues which must be addressed properly.

He directed the IG police to expedite the installation of CCTV project on war footings and order extensive patrolling in the affected areas.

“The complainants must be urged through CPLC to purse cases”, he added.

Shah ordered IG Police to develop close coordination in various wings of the police and start a vigorously targeted operation against the street criminals.

“The operation must be properly worked out focused and in the operation drug mafia and land mafia may also be crushed properly”, he said.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, IG Sindh AD Khawaja, Additional IG Karachi Mushtaq Maher, Additional IG CTD Sanaullah Abbasi, Principal Secretary to CM Naveed Kamran Baloch, Home Secretary Shakeel Mangnijo, Commissioner Karachi Aijaz Ali Khan, Chief CPLC Zubair, DIG Traffic Asif Aijaz Shaikh and others.