Crackdown on criminals: Sindh cabinet lauds feats of law enforcement agencies

CM says law and order will improve once Sindh police has been bolstered.

KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Saturday pledged that the provincial authorities were serious about maintaining law and order in violence-plagued Karachi as it pored over plans to equip and strengthen the Sindh police.

Addressing the provincial cabinet, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said that law enforcers had racked up several achievements against criminals during the last four days. He pointed out at the meeting that security personnel had conducted 260 raids and engaged terrorists in 13 encounters in which five terrorists, including three Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, were also killed.

The chief minister said that in addition, 354 criminals, including 27 absconders, eight involved in murder cases and six proclaimed offenders have also been arrested and a large cache of arms and ammunition were recovered. Shah said that due to vigilance and tight operation against the terrorists, only one targeted killing had been reported during the last four days.

Qaim Ali Shah informed the cabinet members that a plan has been engineered to strengthen the police by providing them the latest equipment and training by local and foreign trainers, adding that the provincial police would also be given moral support enabling them to combat the situation with success.

He said that establishment of a special force within the police to counter terrorists was also being taken into consideration. Once the Sindh police have been bolstered, he said, it will bring a vast improvement in the law and order situation and help restore public confidence.

In comparison to other provinces, Qaim Ali Shah said that Sindh was more peaceful than other provinces in the country. This, according to him, can be ascertained by the confidence and interest of local and foreign investors in Sindh.

Unnecessary propaganda about the law and order was being made by some elements.

Also, the Sindh cabinet paid rich tribute to President Zardari over his successful completion of the presidential tenure for the first time in the history of Pakistan, and praised his services and achievements for the country and democracy.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2013.