Baqar asks police to be proactive as street crime ‘a major challenge’

Sindh caretaker chief minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, during a meeting on law and order he chaired, reviewed the overall performance of the Sindh police, especially of the Karachi Range DIGs.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, Sindh police chief IGP Riffat Mukhtar, Karachi police chief Addl IGP Khadim Hussain Rind, West Zone police chief DIG Asim Qaimkhani and East Zone police chief DIG Azfar Mahesar among others.

DIG Qaimkhani and DIG Mahesar gave presentations on the crime situation and the improvements made in the police system in their respective jurisdictions.

Baqar said street crime is a major challenge, for which the Karachi police would have to work proactively to ensure the safety of lives and properties in the city.

The meeting was informed that besides street crime, the West and East police zones face issues such as land grabbing, smuggling, and water and power theft.

DIG Qaimkhani informed the meeting that the West Range consists of District Central, where a total of 31 police stations are located. From September 2023 to December 2023, 602 cases were registered, out of which 181 were resolved.

The DIG said that 4,853 street crime cases were registered in the Central district and 2,024 in the West district, 1,731 suspected street criminals were arrested in the West district, out of which 1,413 are in jail and 327 are out on bail, while charges were framed against 164 suspected street criminals.

The meeting was informed that 1,969 people were arrested in Gutka and Mawa cases, 1,026 were in jail, bail was granted in 864 cases and charges were framed in 130 cases.

The DIG said that on the directions of the CM, 22 inspections were conducted in the West district and 23 in the Central district, during which he appreciated the inspection of the police stations in the West Zone and the installation of charts.

DIG Mahesar informed the meeting that the East Range consists of the East, Korangi and Malir districts, where 44 police stations are located, comprising 19 sub-divisions and three districts.

The problems of the East Range include the encroachment mafia, smuggling, oil theft and water theft, while electricity theft and the blocking of roads are major problems.

The officer said that from September 8, 2023, to December 20, 2023, 785 cases of street crime were registered, in which 261 solutions and 524 works were under way.

He said that 601 mobile phones, 365 two-wheelers and 29 four-wheelers were recovered in the East Range, 1,974 fugitives were caught and 358 proclaimed offenders were arrested, and 42 Gutka factories were busted and 88 people were arrested.

Seven police stations in the East Range are located on Karachi Development Authority (KDA) land, 10 on Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) land and 17 on the revenue department’s, the education department’s and other institutions’ land.

The meeting was also informed about the West district, where fuel for police mobiles has not been stopped, where the structure of police stations has been improved, and where all records and registers of police stations are being kept properly.

Moreover, the motorbikes and other vehicles seized are being tagged, and the cases are improving the property yards. The West police have a five-acre yard, where cases are keeping property vehicles, including motorbikes.

IGP Mukhtar said that in the West Zone, 16 police stations are on the land of the KMC, 11 on the land of the KDA, one of the land of the Pakistan Railways and one on the land of another institution.

He said that on the instructions of the CM, 31 wireless sets have been installed in the West Zone, on which 67 wireless operators have been working.

Female police constables have also been better deployed. The meeting was informed that an effective system of inspection of the police has been introduced in Karachi, while budget has been released to all police stations, and all mobile vans are being provided with petrol, repair and maintenance expenses.

Not only have the wireless systems been installed in all mobile vans but the wireless systems being operated in the wireless rooms of the police stations have also been upgraded.

The IGP said police yards are being set up in the East district, where case properties such as vehicles, including motorbikes, would be parked with the tag of their case number. He said the security of police stations is being strengthened, and they are also being upgraded.

He also voiced concerns over the issue of various police stations being located on the land of government buildings. Baqar directed CS Dr Alam to transfer the land where the police stations are located to the police department.