HYDERABAD: Sindh Inspector General of Police Syed Kaleem Imam has said work is under way to have a uniform and standardised Police Act with (the Musharraf era) Police Order, 2002 as the baseline to ensure effective policing.

He was speaking to the media after chairing a meeting of police officers of the Hyderabad range at Shahbaz Hall on Saturday. DIG Naeem Shaikh was also present.

“The process of police reforms is under way in line with SC chief justice’s directives,” he told a questioner. The CJP had observed that there should be a uniform and standardised Police Act in Pakistan.

“The [Musharraf era] Police Order, 2002 is perhaps the baseline for police reforms. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has produced police reforms; one meeting was held in this regard on Dec 26 and another one is scheduled for Jan 2, 2019. Emerging principle is that police reforms should be uniform and standardised in all provinces to have effective policing,” he said.

Regarding rotation policy for Police Services of Pakistan (PSP) cadre officers, he said that the establishment division had to draft it. A draft was being prepared regarding all 15 departments of police for which Sindh police department had also submitted its input. He said that once it was finalised police officers serving for 10 years would be shifted and given new assignments in other provinces.

He said that police indeed provided security in high-profile cases, including those of politicians, because they were often exposed to different conditions. It was state’s responsibility to ensure their security and avert any threat. He said that such individuals were provided security after assessment of their cases done by provincial intelligence committee. He said that security was indeed provided not only to politicians but other stakeholders like religious seminaries. It would continue to be available wherever needed, he added. He clarified that it was not about VVIP security alone.

The IGP avoided sharing information regarding the reported headway in the ex-MQM MNA Ali Raza Abidi’s assassination case. He said that divulging anything at this stage would be tantamount to compromising the entire investigation of this high-profile case. He said that police needed time in this regard. “We have good leads but I will not share them right now as in such cases the suspects who have harmed someone are benefitted,” he said.

The provincial police chief said that targeted killings had registered a significant decline after arrest of suspects and presentation of charge-sheets against them in courts. “Some groups have surfaced but they will be arrested soon as we have got leads. Targeted killings are continuing as some groups are involved in it with some motivated intent and we have learnt about it. Police are doing their best to ensure that they are arrested,” he said.

IGP Imam told a questioner that the Sindh chief minister appreciated police’s overall performance. He said that last year 46 cases of kidnapping were reported and all hostages were recovered. This year, he added, 35 cases had been reported, indicating a drop in the heinous crime and showing that policing remained effective. He said that the establishment of a forensic lab in Sindh on the pattern of Punjab’s, was approved by the provincial government and it would start working within the next two and half years.

He said that transnational crime was an international phenomenon and police had evidence of involvement of those groups of Pakistani origin that were based abroad. He said that some of such suspects were arrested and related details would be shared with the media.

Speaking in the context of terrorism, the IGP said that radicalisation and ideological issues were there and in some cases hostile agencies supported such elements.

He said that police were trying to provide a better environment to people. The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Rangers and police had played an important role in this regard.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2018