HYDERABAD, Dec 31: Provincial Police Officer (PPO) of Sindh Major (retd) Ziaul Hassan strongly defended Sindh police for performing a valiant role in recent spate of violence that gripped the province following assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto on December 27 in Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi. He disagreed with a questioner whether in view of police failure to protect lives and property of people at large he would submit his resignation.

Senior police officials were also present during the press conference.

He said that police had not failed but discharged their duties to their best of abilities. He said that police were still trying their level best to serve people and provide security to them. He said that traders who just called on him wanted to present shield to police. “This question is irrelevant”, said the PPO when asked as to what the province wide high alert message for police means when people are subjected to such unprecedented violence. He said that police officials have lost their lives and received injuries as well in the line of duty. He, however, called for upgrading the law enforcement system of Sindh police. He said that such a system would enable Sindh police to meet any such eventuality. He added that the situation was limping towards normality in Karachi and other cities of Sindh. He asked media to be responsible regarding any news because it creates confusion. He said that cases were being lodged at police stations against arsonists and miscreants who looted and burnt vehicles and other properties. He was not sure whether any foreign element was behind the violence.

Strongly defending police on the ground that it was a spontaneous outpouring of violence not only in Sindh but in rest of the country, he said that police did take time in regrouping themselves and dispatching them to troubled areas with sufficient strength.

He said that efforts were under way to arrest criminals who have looted property of people while cases of victims would also be lodged for the losses borne by them during violence. He said that 80 per cent of petrol pumps have been opened. He stressed the need for confidence building measures among people.

He said that he had come to assess losses that had been caused in the last couple of days.

He said that in Hyderabad shops are being gradually opened and called for undertaking confidence building measures. He said that trouble that was witnessed on December 27 and onwards was a surprise element that took everyone by surprise. He added that police did save vital and strategic installations, godowns refineries, etc. He said that police has begun recovery drive so that looted goods could be recovered. He said that all those criminals who had taken advantage of the situation would be arrested.