KARACHI, April 5: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has called for the use of modern technology and research methods in examining different aspects of the commission of crime so that an effective strategy could be evolved to combat crime in the province.

He was presiding over a meeting of the advisory board of the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, said a press release issued by the Governor’s House here on Wednesday.

CPLC chief Sharafuddin Memon, Advocate General Sindh Anwar Mansoor Khan, IGP Jehangir Mirza, Additional Secretary Home Rasheed Alam, Nazim F. Haji, Jehangir Siddiqui and others attended the meeting.

Reviewing the Nazarat arrangements with regard to the recovered vehicles, Dr Ibad directed the officials to consider compensating the owners of stolen or snatched motorcycles out of the earnings of Nazarat as the bike-owners usually belonged to low-income group and might have spent all their savings to buy a two-wheeler.

He also stressed on making the Nazarat arrangements transparent.

Governor Ibad suggested that for a vehicle deprived of its number plate by criminals should be issued with a new one with the same number instead of a new number.

He also suggested introduction of ‘911’ or ‘999’ helpline number as in practice internationally for emergency assistance.

Briefing the governor on CPLC’s performance, Mr Memon said that the citizens could now get a vehicle verified for sale/purchase through making an SMS to the CPLC. The system being computerized, he added, could provide the required information to a caller within no time.

He said that there had been a remarkable decline in the vehicle theft/snatching incidents in the first two months of current year. During this period, 989 motorcycles were taken away and 302 of them recovered.

In 2005, the number of motorcycles snatched/stolen stood at 5,719 while that of the recovered at 1,943. The figures in 2004 were 6,897 and 2,617, respectively, he added.

Regarding kidnapping for ransom cases, Sharafuddin Memon informed the governor that six such cases were reported during the current year and all of them were resolved. Last year, nine gangs of kidnappers were busted, he added.

He also gave details of the programmes for the welfare of policemen being run in cooperation with the CPLC. Such programmes included schools, industrial homes and dispensaries set up at Gulbahar, Khwaja Ajmer Nagri, F B Area, New Karachi, etc.

Besides, the CPLC was also cooperating in the projects for the rehabilitation and upgrading the police hospital.

The meeting was also briefed about the issues of community policing, public toilets, recovery of mobile phones and consumer rights council.

Governor Ibad lauded the community policing system in certain areas and asked the officials to introduce the same in other areas.—PPI