According to Police statistics 14816 mobile phone snatching incidents occurred in Karachi during seven months of current year
Chief Minister Murad Shah reviews law & order situation; decides to setup separate Crime Monitoring Unit at CM House
Karachi: The crime data presented by police officials in a meeting on law and order show that the crimes surged in Sindh including capital city Karachi since beginning of the year 2021 yet they claimed that the ‘situation was under control’.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who presided over the meeting, held on Friday, sounding the note of warning had to decide establishing a separate Crime Monitoring Unit at the CM House.
Murad Ali Shah categorically told the provincial police that he would not tolerate crime against women, children, minorities and cases of kidnapping for ransom and drug trafficking.
“I am establishing a separate unit to monitor crime situations at CM House. The crime rate must be seen coming down in all the police zones/regions of the province,” he said.
Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Maher briefing the chief minister said that from Jan 1 to August 5, 2021 some 1,035 murder, 103 extortion and 118 cases of kidnapping for ransom were reported in the province. He added that most of the kidnapping for ransom cases have taken place under honey-traps.
IG said that 10172 incidents of crime against persons, 31107 property, 16745 miscellaneous, 17320 local and special law, 535 fatal and non-fatal and 24 of blasphemy were reported.
The IG Police sharing monthly crime report of August 2021 with the chief minister disclosed that four cases of minorities were reported in the province, including one in East Zone of Karachi, two in Mirpurkhas and one in Sukkur. Similarly, 73 cases of offence against women were reported, of them 24 in East, 18 in South and five in zones of Karachi, 10 in Hyderabad, six each in Sukkur and Larkana and three in Shaheed Benazirabad and one in Mirpurkhas regions.
As far as crime against minors were concerned 19 cases were reported, including eight in East, seven in West and two in South zone of Karachi and two in Hyderabad region. Only six cases of extortion were reported- three in East, each one in South and West.
Mushtaq Maher told the chair that 44 cases of theft of contraband items such as petrol and diesel were reported, including 32 in Hyderabad, seven in Mirpurkhas and five in South Zone. He added that 244 cases of drugs were reported, including 59 in South, 66 East and five in West zones of Karachi, 63 in Hyderabad, 19 in Larkana, 17 Mirpurkhas and 15 Sukkur.
Karachi – Street Crime: The meeting was told that 14,816 cases of mobile snatching, 137 of four wheelers snatching and 995 of four-wheeler theft, 2,635 of two wheelers snatching and 28,784 of two-wheeler theft have been reported in the city.
Additional IG Karachi told the chief minister that overall law and order situation was under control in the city, however, few incidents such as kidnapping and murder of minor girl Maham in Zaman Town, attack on Chinese national at Gulbai and looting of a cash van that resulted in the killing of two persons at F.B Area were worth mentioning here.
Police performance: The police conducted 960 encounters in which 674 gangs were busted, 61 terrorists arrested/killed, and 9628 dacoits killed/arrested. The police recovered three LMG, 77 rifles, 94 SMG/Kalashnikovs, 368 shotguns, 110 grenades and 5163 pistols.
The CM was told that the police raided 6607 drug dens, recovered 7502 kg chars, 198 kg heroin and 75.307 kg Ice and registered 8561 FIRs and arrested 10396 culprits.
Hyderabad: The chief minister was told that Hyderabad Range was traditionally a low crime area, except Dadu district where violent incidents were being reported. At this the chief minister said that there were some reports that illegal trade of gutka/mawa were on the increase in Hyderabad region and the incident of Dodo Bheel and burning of house of Shankar Malhi were intolerable.
The meeting was told that 40 rape cases and 272 cases of kidnapping have been reported this year. The chief minister said that last year’s data showed that only 192 kidnapping cases were reported and why the kidnapping crime was increasing. The IG police said that most of the cases had taken place under honey-trap.
Sukkur/Larkana Rangers: The chief minister said that Sukkur and Larkana Ranges were showing rising crime trends. He cited the examples of Ajay Kumar Lalwani, a local journalist of Sukkur region. He added “I am quite upset to know that 69 women have been killed in Larkana Range as kari (honour killing),” he said. Shah directed IG police to order his investigators to investigate each and every case of kari/honour killing so that their killers could be brought to book.
The chief minister directed the chief secretary to announce a policy that every police officer would have to work in the Investigation wing to qualify for the next promotion. “Onward all the police officers, from Inspectors to SSPs would be given Annual Confidential Reports on the basis of a portion of their services in Investigation work.”
The chief minister said that he was not happy with the crime report – it must be controlled. He directed Additional IG Special Branch to further strengthen his intelligence work and keep posting the crime situation to the concerned police officers and to him.
The chief minister directed the Inspector General of Police to start a vigorous and targeted operation against the drug mafia from Saturday and keep him sending day-to-day reports. He said that the culprits involved in crime against children, women and minorities must be brought to book.
He said he would be reviewing law and order twice or thrice a month and would take action accordingly.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah taking serious notice of the incident took place in Tando Mohammad with the Special Assistant of the prime minister directed DIG Hyderabad to submit a detailed inquiry report. He added that such incidents were undemocratic and should not be allowed to happen.
The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Additional IG Special Branch Ghulam Nabi Memon, Additional IG Karachi Yakoob Minhas, DIGs of all the police zones of the city and through video link Additional IGs of Hyderabad and Sukkur and their DIGs. (PR)
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