2,580 police officials infected with Covid-19 in Sindh

SPSC members voice concerns about growing street crime in Karachi

KARACHI:

At least 16 out of 2,580 police officials infected with coronavirus in Sindh had died since the pandemic broke out in the country, whereas 960 had recovered and 1,604 were under treatment, revealed Sindh IGP Mushtaq Mahar on Saturday.

Addressing a meeting of the Sindh Public Safety and Police Complaints Commission (SPSC) at the Chief Minister House, he told the forum that police officials were being trained about necessary precautionary measures so they could safely perform their duties safely.

As Mahar added that the police were performing their duties selflessly during the ongoing pandemic, SPSC secretary Saifullah Abro praised the law enforcers' efforts.

Abro also told the meeting that public complaints filed against police officials had been disposed of by the relevant committees, including complaints pertaining to exerting pressure to usurp land adjacent to a water park in Sukkur. The meeting's participants were told that after investigation, an FIR was registered and the case sent to the court of law.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Mohammad Ali Aziz voiced concerns about growing street crime in the port city. At this, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the Karachi police chief would be invited to the next meeting to brief the commission about street crime in the metropolis and the measures taken by the police to curb the menace.

The issue of providing vehicles to SPSC officials was also raised in the meeting, with the CM informing the participants that purchasing vehicles had presently been banned by the Supreme Court. "We will purchase vehicles when the court grants permission," he said.

SPSC members also lauded the Khairpur police for arresting the retired teacher and tutor accused of sexually assaulting his students. They expressed the hope that the case would be investigated properly so that everyone involved could be brought to justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2020.