KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed the law enforcement agencies to intensify and strengthen vigilance at entry and exit points of the province.

He added that the ongoing targeted operation had started producing encouraging results, but he wanted the law enforcers to intensify the operation to purge the province of terrorist elements.

The chief minister was presiding over a meeting on law and order at CM House on Tuesday. Besides other officials, the meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana, Rangers Director General Maj General Bilal Akbar, IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali, Principal Secretary to the CM Alamudin Bullo, Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo.

Earlier, IG Jamali briefed the chief minister on the targeted operation.

He said the operation gave positive results. “If the 496 days of the targeted operation are compared with the corresponding 496 days [of the previous years], 337 per cent more criminals have been killed in encounters while 16 per cent more targeted killers arrested, 285 per cent more terrorists and 96 per cent more extortionists apprehended,” he said.

A total of 766 criminals had been killed during the 496 days of the operation, while 175 criminals had been killed in encounters during the corresponding period, he said.

Similarly, 1,399 criminals involved in targeted killings had been arrested, while 1,200 had been arrested earlier, he said.

The number of militants and extortionists arrested increased from 124 to 478 and from 236 to 463, respectively, he said.

In the 496 days before the launch of the targeted operation, as many as 3,848 persons had been killed while the number of killings dropped to 2,465 during the operation, indicating 35 per cent reduction in the killings.

He said targeted killing dropped by 56 per cent due to the operation. He explained that 1,240 persons were killed in targeted attacks during the operation while the number of victims was 2,881 before the operation.

The IGP said that 136 policemen lost their lives in the line of duty in Karachi and 47 in rest of Sindh last year. “The police arrested 41 suspects and killed 22 criminals in encounters,” he added.

In reply to a question by the chief minister, IGP Jamali said that 315 cases had been completed to present their challans in court. Of them, 194 have been identified as terrorist cases which would be referred to military courts, he said. He explained that of the 194 cases of terrorism 28 were registered in district east and 16 in district south, while four were pursued by the CID. A total of 95 terror cases were registered in Benazirabad, 17 in Hyderabad division, 26 in Larkana division and eight in Sukkur division, he added.

The police chief said there were 40 cases of kidnapping for ransom in Karachi and 60 in rest of Sindh when he took over and now the figures came down to three in Karachi and four in the rest of Sindh.

Replying to another question, the police chief said that a dedicated force of 700 police personnel had been earmarked for polio campaign under the command of DIG RRF.

After the briefing, the chief minister directed the IGP to make the investigation system more efficient. “I want timely completion of investigation and submission of challans in courts. You have to strengthen your entire system for proper implementation of the national action plan,” he said.

Command and control system

While giving presentation to the chief minister, Rangers Director General Maj General Bilal Akbar said the Rangers conducted 570 operational activities in Lyari during the period of the targeted operation starting from Sept 5, 2013. He said 165 encounters had been conducted and 741 big weapons recovered. He said that gang warfare was going on in Lyari between two major groups, Uzair Baloch and Baba Ladla. “We have set up 36 checkpoints in Lyari, of them five at entrance points and 31 pickets inside and on rooftops,” he said.

He claimed that the Rangers arrested or eliminated hardened criminals involved in kidnapping for ransom in Karachi and the interior of Sindh. The worth mentioning were Tego Khan Tegani, TTP leader Abid Muchhar (a Mehsood tribesman) and his accomplice Suri. They were involved in kidnapping for ransom in Defence and Clifton areas. Their arrests brought a visible reduction in such cases, the officer said.

He highlighted the need for developing a separate command and control system in Lyari under which electronic surveillance of every street would be made. “The project would cost Rs132 million and would be efficient enough to keep an eye on every activity in the area,” he said.

The chief minister asked the DG Rangers to submit the scheme for approval.

The Rangers DG also told the chief minister that some 65 personnel lost their lives in the line of duty, but the federal government released money for compensation to the families of only 38 personnel of them.

The chief minister assured him that he would request the federal government to release the compensation.

Action plan

Sindh Home Secretary Abdul Rahim Soomro said he had held a number of follow-up meetings of sub-committees formed under National Action Programme.

Being head of the execution committee comprising a brigadier of V-corps, deputy director general of Rangers, additional IGs, CID and Karachi, deputy high commissioner of Afghan refugees, representatives of National Accountability Bureau, FIA and minorities department secretary, district officer of Frontier Constabulary Sindh convened a meeting in his office.

Mr Soomro said that in the meeting, operational framework, dealing with tactical issues, inter-agency coordination and coordination with federal government were discussed. He added that the meeting of legal committee, media committee and intelligence committee had also been held and minutes of the meeting would be provided to the chief minister.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2015

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