KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said the Karachi operation will continue until the fulfillment of its objectives.

“I stand by police and rangers and they should treat criminals as criminals and must not care about the criminals' affiliations,” he said.

He directed the authorities concerned to immediately implement Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) to deal with the heinous crimes and offenders in Karachi.

He also directed the law enforcement agencies and the Sindh Government to shift terrorists to other provinces for trials, so that safety of prosecutors and witnesses was ensured.

The prime minister issued these directives while chairing a meeting to review law and order situation here at Governor House.

Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister observed that restoration of peace in Karachi was of vital importance as it was the economic hub of the country.

He directed that all illegal cellular phone SIMs should be blocked and biometrics system be henceforth used for issuance of new SIMs.

During the meeting, the prime minister was apprised that request for establishment of new anti-terrorism courts and appointment of new judges had been sent to the Chief Justice Sindh High Court.

Forty-one proxy prisoners were identified through NADRA verification process as these persons had been in prisons in place of real criminals.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who was present during the meeting, assured that an inquiry would be held in this matter.

The prime minister emphasised that high value and hardened criminals should be tried in other provinces and mafias inside jails be dismantled.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was briefed that since September this year a total of 63,475 raids and 455 encounters took place, while 74 target killers and terrorists were arrested.

The meeting was attended by Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad, Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Chief Secretary Sindh, Director General Rangers, Inspector General of Police Sindh and other senior government officers.

Coastal Power Project

Also on Tuesday Sharif inaugurated the Karachi Coastal Power Project in Karachi and vowed that six nuclear power plants would be constructed to overcome the problem of electricity shortage in the country.

He said the six nuclear power plants would have the capacity to produce 40,000 MW of electricity by 2050.

During the inauguration ceremony of the coastal power project, the prime minister said three new dams would be also constructed in the country, which would have the capacity to produce 1,500 MW of electricity.

He further said that along with the aforementioned projects, more power plants would be constructed in Gadani which would have the capacity to produce 640 MW of electricity.

The premier invited China to invest in energy projects in Pakistan and added that it was the only way Pakistan would be able to overcome the electricity shortage that has plagued the country.

The Planning Commission has so far allocated Rs6 billion for the coastal power project, while its total coast estimated at Rs960 billion.