High hopes: Two new police stations in Sukkur and Hyderabad to counter terrorism

KARACHI:

Sukkur and Hyderabad are all set to join the fight against terrorism in Sindh. For the first time the two cities will get their own Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), as per the notification issued by the Sindh government.

The decision to open more CTD offices was taken following the recent deadly bombings in Jacobabad and Shikarpur. The cases of terrorism in rural Sindh will now be registered at the newly established CTD police stations in Sukkur and Hyderabad.

Earlier, the CTD had only one police station to deal with terrorism cases in the entire province in Karachi. Now, the CTD will have two more police stations.

Difficulty in solving cases

According to CTD data, more than 600 cases of terrorism are registered in Karachi annually. However, CTD only has manpower of nearly 850 officers and personnel.

Interestingly, CTD already had four SSPs for Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas  but they had no police station to register the cases.

"The CTD will soon be independent to register cases of terrorism and investigate them," said CTD's Pakistan-Based Terrorists Intelligence Group in-charge Mazhar Mashwani. "The recent terrorist's attacks in the province have shown the existence of terrorists groups." There is a dire need to establish the police stations here, he added.

Lack of funds

The CTD officials welcomed the establishment of the new police stations but regretted that the government has yet to release Rs4 billion for CTD. "We are only asking the authorities when the provincial government will release funds but nobody is confirming when and how it will happen," said a senior CTD officer who wished not to be named.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2015.