Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah presiding over the first session of the provincial cabinet. PHOTO: APP
The Sindh government will increase allocations for crime fighting, appoint 7,500 policemen and import over two dozen armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and other equipment to deal with the law and order situation in Sindh.
This was decided at the first meeting of the new cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at CM House.
The meeting that continued till late Saturday night was attended by the newly appointed seven ministers, one adviser and officials of police, finance and planning department.
Manzoor Wassan, Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Ali Nawaz Mahar, Makhdoom Jameel ul Zaman, Nisar Khuhro and Murad Ali Shah were among those who attended the meeting.
“The Sindh government will appoint 7,500 police personnel to improve the law and order in the province,” Sharjeel Memon said while briefing the media outside the CM House after the meeting.
He said that the SHO and the SSP of the area will be held responsible for incidents of targeted killing and that this measure will help make the police force accountable for incidents in their respective precincts.
Regarding appointments made during the caretaker government, Memon said the interim set up had no mandate to hire or fire government officials. He said it was likely that the appointments made by the caretakers would be annulled.
He said the provincial government has decided to put 400 hundred more buses on the roads in Karachi to improve the public transport fleet.
“Sindh government will import 200 new busses and revamp the dysfunctional 200 buses earlier procured by the then City District Government of Karachi,” he said. A committee consisting of Nisar Khuhro, Akhter Jadoon and Sharjeel Memon has been constituted for the purpose, he added.
Memon also said that to improve the energy sector the provincial government will make all out efforts to get the Thar Coal project rolling.
Meanwhile during the meeting IG Sindh Shahid Nadeem Baloch briefed the cabinet about police requirements, shortage of personnel and lack of facilities.
The meeting was informed that due to lack of APCs it was not possible for police to take action against the criminals who are now armed with the same, or better, weapons as paramilitary forces.
It was decided to import more than two dozen APCs along with other equipment for Karachi police to deal with these threats.
During the meeting secretary finance Muhammad Sohail Rajput and secretary planning and development Arif Ahmed Khan also briefed the cabinet about utilisation of funds allocated by the last government for the year 2012-13 and proposal for upcoming budget for financial year 2013-14.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (10)
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why import APCs ? does Taxila and wah industries no more building exportable vehicles ???? moreover conduct fair test recruitments through NTS.
I think operation clean up II is in the offing.
" import over two dozen armoured personnel carriers (APCs)" I live on the same street as Mr Sharjeel Memon, I've seen how these APC's come to transport him around. I have no doubt why they would want more of them if you guys get my meaning...
Hope the new inductees are from Karachi (to maintain law & order in Karachi)...not flown in from sukkur or nawabshah. The concept of local policing is too far fetched for PPP leaders as they've constantly shown their ethnic bias for the last five years.
Karachi & Lahore should have metropolitan police and government (like London or NY) run by locals, not provincial police/government run by people with no feelings/attachment to the city or its people.
PPP brought in Karachi a hoarde of inefficient police force from Interior Sindh just to make them rich overnight and to control Karachi like in the medieval time when the emperor would gift away the foreign lands to MANN to one of his general and his clan .
Now the second lot of them are ready to be deployed in Karachi ,I am already feeling the shiver in my spine .
The statement of hiring 8000 Police personnel was given by the the sitting care taker Chief Minister of Sindh to induct 8000 people in the Police force before the date of election i.e. May 11, 2013.
Now the Sindh Cabinet is repeating the same old story.
Can any one tell me as what is rate of "Bharti" in the Police Force for the post of Constables, ASI's, because no one can get a job in any government department, including the Police, unless he or she has not paid the bribe to the recruting officer in advance, otherwise the candidate will not be issued the appointment letter.
Is there any job being done in Pakstan without giving and taking the bribe? I have not heard this before.
More personnel for your escort?
One honest and independent SHO is better that two battalions of police with APC's. Once the army has mopped up the criminals, the existing police can do the job with existing money. Expansion of police is for PPP workers to be employed to ensure PPP's political monopoly. Wake up MQM, in opposition, you must ensure police becomes an independent organisation, not a organ of the state to be used for repressing the people, and safeguard corruption.
this is no solution of putting more people and APCs,just revert complete civil police back to thana and guarantee SHO no one is to allowed to interfere IN HIS DUTIES.
I think you first set the port folios of the Ministers Shah Sahab since it looks you might have to ask for police assistance for this purpose.