Law and order: Five new police stations to be set up in Lyari, including one for women

We are experiencing insurgency in Lyari, says CM

KARACHI: Amid increasing lawlessness and violence, the Sindh government has decided to establish five more police stations in Lyari. One of these police stations will be exclusively for women.

This brings the number of police stations in the restive locality to nine as four police stations - Baghdadi, Chakiwara, Kalakot and Kalri - are already there. The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by the Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Friday, a day after he was served a show-cause notice for the Sindh government's negligence in Tharparkar.

Shah asked officials to provide Rs500 million for the Lyari development package. He also directed them to extend the date for special allowance to the police personnel working at sensitive police stations.

The meeting was held to review the present law and order situation of Karachi, especially with reference to the current situation in Lyari, where three Pakistan Peoples Party activists were killed on Wednesday night by gangsters for participating in the party's October 18 rally.

Referring to these killings, Shah said that certain criminal elements wanted to sabotage the achievements of the targeted operation conducted by the law enforcement agencies. He said that no one will be allowed to do so and directed the Sindh IG and other relevant officers to expedite the operation against the terrorists. The chief minister dispelled the impression that the Sindh government was not giving priority to Lyari, which is considered to be a PPP stronghold. "We have provided a university, a law college and a medical college to Lyari, upgraded Civil hospital and constructed many roads and parks," he said. He added that while the Sindh government was extending its development projects, the clashes between the two rival groups of a Lyari-based gang created hurdles in the way of development.

Shah informed the meeting that Rs500 million has been provided for the Lyari development package. "We are experiencing an insurgency in Lyari and others parts of Karachi because of infiltration of criminal elements from upcountry, Balochistan and abroad," he said. Apropos the suggested foreign elements, he directed the law enforcers to be more vigilant and take strict action against criminals under the Pakistan Protection Ordinance (PPO).

"We need to develop an effective intelligence network to make the targeted operation more successful," he said.

The chief minister said that while everything demanded by the Sindh police has been catered for in the form of arms, ammunitions, vehicles, bullet-proof jackets and other gadgets, the government will continue to extend administrative, financial and moral support to the law enforcers. He directed the Sindh IG to identify vulnerable areas along with criminal elements and take strict action against them by deploying 'brave and honest' police officers there. Shah lauded the efforts of the law enforcement agencies for fool-proof security measures during Ashura.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2014.