‘Formal ECP consent to be sought shortly to start Phase 1 of Safe City Project’

Sindh interim home minister Brigadier (retd) Haris Nawaz on Monday told a meeting that formal consent of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) may be sought to commence Karachi’s Safe City Project.

Officials said he issued directives to the law enforcement agencies to evolve a joint strategy to speed up intelligence-based operations against lawbreakers, including street criminals, drug dealers and land grabbers, and to comb out illegal immigrants from the city.

He was presiding over a meeting with senior police officers at Karachi Police Office. The meeting was attended by Karachi’s additional IG, range DIGs, DIG CIA, SSP AVCC, SSP AVLC and district SSPs.

Nawaz reviewed the ongoing ground-level action against organised crime, drug trafficking and combing operations against illegal immigrants, specially Afghan nationals illegally residing in the city and involved in suspicious/criminal activities.

He said a lot of good work has been done against organised crime and drugs by the LEAs. He, however, stressed the need to intensify the vigil against anti-social and criminal elements.

The home minister also ordered the senior police officers to visit police stations in their districts and “check manpower and equipment”, besides, ensuring the basic policing at the ground level with a citizen-friendly approach.

The meeting reviewed the deployment of police for the security of different personalities in the province. It proposed withdrawing the additional police personnel deployed unnecessarily for security duties. “Those who really need security will be provided with police personnel,” the home minister home said.

He said the Karachi Safe City project was an important project for the city, and the provincial caretaker government was determined to implement it.

The meeting was informed that the PC-1 of the project is already approved, and after administrative approval for the release of allocated funds, the ECP will be approached shortly for formal consent to commence the Phase-1 of the Safe City Project.

Earlier, Karachi Additional IG Khadim Hussain Rind and senior police officers welcomed the caretaker home minister.

During the meeting, Rind gave a briefing to the minister on the law and order situation in the city. He gave a review of the measures taken to protect the life and property of the citizens and the implementation of the Police Security Plan.