For safe census exercise: 30,000 military and police personnel for Karachi

Sindh govt yet to release funds for accommodation, transportation, food expenses of police officials

KARACHI: As many as 30,000 military and police personnel will perform security duties along with the census teams in more than 14,000 blocks in the metropolis.

The census exercise is scheduled to begin on March 15 in Karachi.

While police officials have carved out a strategy to protect the census teams during the exercise in the city, the provincial government has yet to release funds for their transportation and food expenses. The finance department of the Sindh police have sent a summary to the Sindh government, demanding nearly Rs250 million for the accommodation, transportation, food and other expenses of the security staff performing duty in Karachi, Hyderabad and Ghotki. "We have already sent a summary demanding nearly Rs250 million and waiting for the approval," said Sindh police's Finance DIG, Imran Yaqoob Minhas. "Hopefully, the summary will be approved in a day or two. Let's see how much the government allocates."

A force of more than 16,000 police officials will provide the security to census teams in Karachi division with an additional force of military troops. Inter Services Public Relations Director-General Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a recent statement that census would be conducted with the assistance of over 200,000 military troops across the country.

There were conflicting reports about the exact number of army personnel to be deployed at block level in Karachi as no one from the army or Rangers was confirming it. However, officials in the census department told The Express Tribune that around 14,235 army personnel will be deployed in all the blocks in the various districts of Karachi. "In each block, which comprises 200 to 250 houses, one army soldier will be for security duty while another will work as enumerator," said an official.

Strategies devised

The area police have also been tasked to devise strategies for security duties during the census exercise. "It depends on the area how sensitive is it but at least two cops and a military troop will be deployed on security duty for each team," said North Nazimabad DSP Naeem Khan. "The areas that are in normal category do not to have need many security officials.” However, he added, keeping in view the area’s sensitivity, deployment of forces will be increased and/or decreased.

For sensitive areas, at least two policemen and two army guards will be deployed for protecting the enumerators. "The police will also be on patrol as the Quick Response Force," said DSP Khan.

Police officials have also come up with a strategy about the sensitive areas of the city where police officials fear unusual activities during the census exercise. More than 30 areas of the city have been marked as sensitive. The majority of these areas are in West and Malir districts. "We have divided our security plan in five layers,” District West SSP Nasir Aftab told The Express Tribune. “We have also marked nearly 15 sensitive areas in our jurisdiction and have taken extra security measures for them."

The officer said that though there is no substantial report about terrorist or criminal activities expected during census, threats of terrorism could not be ruled out. Sensitive areas included Kunwari Colony, Pirabad, Manghopir, Awan Colony, Mianwali Colony, Toori Bangash Colony, Ittehad Town, Macchar Colony, Hassan Noman Colony, Sohrab Goth, Sherpao Colony, New Muzaffarabad Colony and Musharraf Colony. "These areas have once been stronghold areas of militant organisations operating in the city," said a senior police official requesting anonymity. "We have also already started pre-census exercises in such localities such as surveillance, patrolling, routine checking and intelligence to avoid any potential terrorism activity."

As the Karachi police are also facing a shortage of strength, they have called in additional forces to overcome the shortage from different units of the Sindh police and Karachi police and also withdrawn nearly 2,000 security guards deployed on the security of VVIPs.