Police are not afraid of terrorists: AD Khawaja

IG talks about how they arrested terrorists, facilitators of Shikarpur, Jacobabad bombings

SUKKUR: Brushing aside the perception that the police are afraid of the terrorists and resultantly reluctant to take action against them, Sindh IG Allah Dino Khawaja said that it was the police who arrested the terrorists and their facilitators involved in the Shikarpur and Jacobabad bombings.

Talking to the media at 15 Madadgar Centre in Sukkur on Wednesday, the IG said that most of the terror plots are prepared across the border in Afghanistan and then they enter Pakistan either through Wadh or Mastung and then proceed to Jacobabad or Shikarpur. "Police don't have sensitive equipment to monitor their activities across the border," he said, adding that the police have arrested the terrorists and their facilitators in Sindh.

It was the first time in the history of Karachi that the police raided a 'no-go area' like Muttahida Qaumi Movement headquarters Nine Zero and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition, said the IG, lamenting how instead of appreciating their performance, the media was criticising the law enforcers. He said that the house in which arms and ammunition were hidden was not occupied and, therefore, no one was arrested but investigations are still underway. "It is your own police force and, therefore, you should appreciate its good performance," he said.

Talking about the arrest of the Baldia Factory fire mastermind Rehman alias Bhola in Bangkok, he said that he will be brought to Pakistan in a day or two, after which he will undergo investigation just like those arrested earlier did.



According to Khawaja, since he took over as the IG, all the recruitments, postings, transfers and promotions are being made purely on merit and without any political influence. He said that compensation for the martyrs of the police has increased from Rs3 million to Rs5 million. He added that 12,000 policemen are being trained by the Pakistan Army and the police department is bearing the expenses.

Khawaja further said that since the launch of the Karachi operation, incidents of extortion and kidnapping have slashed down to 90%. He said he was hopeful that the remaining 10% will also come to an end shortly. According to him, this was made possible due to the SIM locators.

Talking about rural Sindh, he said that some dacoits are still present in the katcha areas of Garhi Tegho in Shikarpur and Khairpur and they will be eliminated soon. He said that armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are being prepared for the police by the army but it will take one year. For the time being, the army is providing us with some of their APCs, he added. He admitted that women police stations should be established in Sukkur, adding that he will take up the matter with the chief minister. He also announced that police facilitation centres will be set up in every divisional headquarter.

Meanwhile, Sukkur SSP Amjad Ahmed Shaikh briefed the IG about the working of the 15 Madadgar Centre and compilation of crime data through the thumb impression of the criminals.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th, 2016.