Rind appreciates Women & Child Protection Unit’s performance

Karachi police chief Khadim Hussain Rind on Wednesday announced certificates of appreciation and cash rewards for the outstanding performance of the Women & Child Protection Unit’s team.

Addl IGP Rind made the announcement during an important meeting at the Karachi Police Office, where he reviewed the performance of the unit. The meeting was attended by Fauzia Tariq, head of the NGO Law is my Protector, SSP Investigation (Malir) Zahida Parveen, Karachi Range Incharge Hina Mughal and other officers.

Rind reviewed the unit’s performance in detail, and discussed the issues being faced by women and children. He also issued instructions to further improve the unit’s performance.

The meeting was informed that the Saudabad police team had shared a post of a missing girl, Hajra Nadeem, aged 7-8 years, at 12:30am on Tuesday, following which the incharge of the Women & Child Protection Cell, SSP District South, contacted the Saudabad duty officer.

After sharing the post, Inspector Badar Shakeel, incharge of the DIG Office South, contacted the incharge of Child Protection South, informing them about the girl’s whereabouts to be conveyed to Hajra’s father, who was later sent to the Saudabad police station.

The victim’s family are residents of Abyssinia Lines, Sector 2-A, Karachi. They expressed satisfaction, saying that the girl had went to her sister’s house and then went missing.

It may be noted here that during his tenure, former Sindh police chief AD Khowaja had expressed serious concerns over violence against women and children, proposing to the home department to redesignate separate police stations for the purpose throughout the province.

Police sources said that the then IGP Khowaja had also taken up the matter with the then chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who appreciated the proposal and sought a pro forma for the purpose.

Later, Khowaja wrote to the home department, with the subject: “Redesignation of women police stations as women & children police stations in each range and zone of Sindh police and enhancement of police personnel”.

The letter’s text reads: “It is submitted with reference to the decision taken during the meeting chaired by the honourable chief minister Sindh on the above-mentioned subject. In this regard it is submitted that women police stations are established in each range and zone of Sindh.

“Keeping in view the rising trend of crime against children and cases of child abuse, it is imperative to establish a dedicated police station for such vulnerable segment of society for providing dedicated reporting and investigative facility.

“In order to meet the requirement urgently, it was decided during the said meeting that as an initial step, women police stations already working at range and zone levels may be renamed as ‘women & children police station’ with additional staff to cope with the expected magnitude of work.

“The detail of present sanctioned strength of each women police station is: in West Range Karachi two sub-inspectors, an assistant sub-inspector [ASI] and 15 police constables; in East Range no lady official is posted; and in South Range an inspector, an ASI, a head constable and 27 PCs.

“In interior Sindh the posting ratio is: at Hyderabad Range an SI, three ASIs, an HC and 17 PCs; at Mirpurkhas 30 officials with 28 constables; at SBA Range 66, including an SI; and at Larkana Range 14 officials, including an inspector, two Sis and three ASIs.”

The letter also stated that the additional staff posted at these police stations would be adjusted from the available resources of the ranges and zones, and would not have any additional financial implications.

However, as staff and investigation in cases against women and children needs to be specialised, it is important to post and retain willing and experienced officials for this sensitive task, reads the letter. Later, the unit was established, and since then it is working effectively.