HYDERABAD: Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mushtaq Mahar finally ordered two major inquiries against the Jamshoro and Dadu police after seizure of 76kg charas from Jamshoro CIA personnel in Karachi and sale of seized gutka worth Rs30 million by Dadu policemen.

The Rangers’ personnel had seized the 76kg charas within the limits of Boat Basin police station on July 17 and got an FIR registered against arrested CIA officials Mohammad Yaqoob, Ghulam Abbas, Aijaz Ali, Rahib Hussain, Ahmed Nawaz and Abdul Hameed, who were among the 11 policemen booked in the case.

Seven suspects, including Jamshoro CIA in-charge Nisar Bhatti, are in jail while four, among them sub-inspector Ghulam Sarwar Rahupoto (brother of Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Sikandar Rahupoto), head constables Asghar Panhwar and Abdul Jabbar Solangi, and constable Imam Bux Zardari, are absconders, who have not obtained pre-arrest bail nether Karachi and Jamshoro police have been able to arrest them.

CIA DIG Noman Siddiqui would lead the inquiry against the “personnel of Jamshoro CIA who were caught red handed while selling huge quantity of charas in Karachi on July 17”, said AIG Farhat Junejo.

The other inquiry into the sale of Rs30m gutka, which was case property, by policemen of Dadu, is to be conducted by DIG Zulfikar Larik. The gutka was in custody of police which had been sold by them, said the AIG.

The policemen involved in the July 17 case were dismissed from service by the SSP Jamshoro, except inspector Nisar Bhatti who was sacked by DIG Hyderabad Sharjeel Kharal.

Senior police officials said the ‘dismissal’ would benefit the accused. “They are not issued show-cause and final show-cause notices and dismissed directly, which will ultimately benefit them in appeal and help them make their case for reinstatement,” said a police officer from Karachi.

But DIG Kharal insisted show-cause notice was issued to the accused. “They didn’t file replies as they had either absconded or arrested. According to Efficiency and Disciplinary Rules it will not support them in seeking reinstatement,” he claimed.

The notorious Jamshoro CIA had been under “supervision” of its de-facto in-charge Sarwar Rahupoto for over five years since he wields great influence in Sindh police for his political connections in Jamshoro and Larkana districts. “Though DSP Nisar Bhatti is real in-charge of Jamshoro CIA,” said a source.

It appears Sindh police chief has deliberately avoided launching a fully-fledged probe ‘the smuggling of Indian product’ into the province and its illegal sale through a route using Indus Highway, according to sources.

The recovery of the 76kg charas was just tip of the iceberg as the Indian products were being brought to Sindh through a safe passage referred to as ‘line’ in police jargon. “The ‘line’ begins from Jacobabad, covers Shikarpur first then Larkana to reach Dadu and then comes Jamshoro and ends up in Karachi,” explained a senior officer.

He said the smuggled items included Z-21 supari, gutka, maava (a sort of wet tobacco), betel nut, cigarettes and other items, and insisted the Sindh IGP should have ordered in-depth investigation into the smuggling and trade of Indian products like Z-21 supari etc.

Several policemen, working at district, range and region level and CIA are getting their pound of flesh from the illegal trade through this ‘line’.

The Jamshoro CIA centre was sealed after the July 17 episode after which 37kg charas was again recovered from the room of Abdul Jabbar Solangi, deputy munshi of CIA, in Kotri police station and a case was lodged.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2021