115,500 policemen to perform election duty

Measures finalised to maintain peace and order during the upcoming polls

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar has said that a total of 115,500 policemen have been assigned to perform security duty during the upcoming general election.

Measures have been finalised and these police officers will be responsible for maintaining law and order on 191 seats, including 61 National Assembly seats and 130 provincial assembly seats.

He was responding to the questions asked by the participants of the PN Staff Course of Pakistan Navy War College who called on him here at the CM House.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers - Brig (retd) Haris Nawaz, Mubeen Jumani, Omar Soomro, Ahmad Shah, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Chairman P&D Shakeel Mangnejo, IG Police Riffat Mukhtar and provincial secretaries. The war course delegation was led by Commandant Navy War College Rear Admiral Azhar Mehmood.

In response to a question, the chief minister stated that treatment plants were being installed to release treated waste and industrial water into the sea, which would help control the marine pollution. Additionally, the Sindh government has planted one million mangrove plants, which are a natural infrastructure that helps protect nearby populated areas by reducing erosion and absorbing storm surge impacts during extreme weather events such as hurricanes. They are also important to the ecosystem due to their dense roots, which help bind and build soils.  To another question, the CM said that his government has initiated several schemes to mitigate the impact of climate change.

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Law & order

During a presentation, IG Police Riffat Mukhtar highlighted the key challenges faced by the law enforcement agencies. He noted that street crime in urban areas, particularly in Karachi, and lawlessness in the kutcha areas of Kashmore, Shikarpur, Ghotki, and Sukkur were significant issues. While terrorism was also a challenge. However, it has been curbed to a mentionable level through intelligence-based targeted operations. The IG emphasised that the police were fully prepared to provide security for the upcoming general elections.

About street crime, the IG identified mobile phone, cash, vehicle snatchings or thefts, house robberies, murders, and extortion as major issues. The police have enhanced patrolling and conducting targeted operations to bring the situation under control.

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Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam suggested that the criminal justice system needs reform, specifically with regard to urban street crime. He believes that the launching of the Karachi Safe City Project, along with increasing the technical capacity of the police, would help resolve the matter.

About the issue of kidnapping for ransom, the IG told the meeting that there were four major heads of crime in Kutcha area including kidnapping for ransom through honey trapping and forced kidnapping; highway robberies, tribal feuds and smuggling.

During 2023, a total of 261 persons were kidnapped, of them only 16 are yet to be recovered. Strict measures are adopted to curb the crime of kidnapping for ransom.

The Commandant of Pakistan Navy War College Rear Admiral Azhar Mahmood thanked the chief minister for giving time to the participants and responding to their questions.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2024.