Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah orders e-tagging of habitual criminals

• “I will not tolerate street crime at all,” Murad Ali Shah asserts.
• Directs authorities to devise a strategy as he “wants results.”
• CM Sindh instructs home department to launch a massive operation in all jails.

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KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday said that strict measures will be taken to curb street crime in Karachi.

The decision was taken during a meeting held to discuss the rise in street crimes in the metropolis. CM Shah said incidents of street crimes have increased in the city while police and Rangers personnel are nowhere to be seen.

Shah said that incidents of theft and other crimes were happening due to the presence of several "habitual criminals" in the city. 

“I want to electronically tag these criminals so that the government could keep an eagle eye on their activities," he said. 

The electronic tagging is a system in which a criminal or suspected criminal has an electronic device attached to them which enables the police to know if they leave a particular area.

“I will not tolerate street crime at all,” he asserted, directing the authorities to devise a strategy as he “wants results.”

Read more: CM Murad blames 'economic downturn' for rise in Karachi street crimes

The provincial minister reiterated that protecting the lives of citizens is the foremost responsibility of the government.

Citing numbers, he said that 12 people were killed while 58 people were injured due to robberies in the metropolitan between February 1 to 20.

“This situation is not at all acceptable,” he said, adding that there should be no disruption in the law and order situation.

Shah said that some serious incidents have taken place in which citizens have lost their lives because of street criminals. “Where are your SHOs, what are they doing and what is their performance,” he asked the police.

The police told the chief minister that during 2022, 123 encounters with criminals have been conducted in which 12 criminals were killed and 82 injured. The CM was told that 1,217 criminals involved in robberies were arrested, 292 criminals held in vehicle snatching/theft cases while 903 illicit weapons were recovered.

It was pointed out that out of 7,179 arrested accused, 3,666 were bailed out and 3,513 were acquitted. At this, the chief minister said that it was the weakness of the police that they were not investigating the cases properly.

The CM said that he would pay surprise visits to the city and he wanted the police and Rangers patrolling, snap checking and active in their areas in the protection of the citizens.

“I want you to keep me posting the fortnightly performance of the SHO in terms of criminal cases in their areas,” he said, adding that the SHO must know the criminals active in their areas or else he would remove such SHOs allowing or showing negligence in curbing the crime.

During the session, it was also disclosed that some gangs were operating from the jails. CM Sindh directed the home department to launch a massive operation in all the jails and take strict action against such criminals. 

“I want the jail department to evolve a strategy to monitor activities of the criminals and gangsters languishing in the jail so that through them their gangs operating in the city could be caught,” he said.

CM Sindh further decided to shift drug addicts to rehabilitation centres in order to stop them from committing criminal acts.