PSL final: Over 8,000 cops to perform duties in city today

Over 8,000 cops, including 800 Special Security Unit (SSU) commandos, and personnel from other law enforcement agencies will perform duties at designated places in the city during the Pakistan Super League’s final being played at the National Stadium today.

The law enforcers will be deployed at the National Stadium, Karachi airport, important routes, parking lots, hotels and other places. Sharp shooters will also be deployed at different places.

SSU chief Maqsood Memon told a media briefing on Saturday it was a matter of great pleasure that international players were coming to Karachi after a long time and the field of sports was being revived. “All of us have to work together to prove that life has been restored and Karachi is a peaceful city.”

PCB Chairman Najam Sethi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Corps Commander Karachi Lt-General Shahid Baig Mirza, Rangers DG Major General Muhammad Saeed, IGP AD Khowaja, all law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders had played a commendable role for organising the PSL final in Karachi, he added.

Memon said all departments had worked day and night to organise this mega event, for which no previous example existed. The mega event could not have been organised successfully without the cooperation of the media and the public.

SSU chief Memon said SP Ghulam Murtaza Tabassum would perform duties as chief security officer of the teams.

The cops to be deployed would include 32 SSPs/SPs, 95 DSPs, 1,051 inspectors, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, 6,323 head constables, police constables and commandos, 603 female staffers and 28 mounted police.

The zone-wise breakdown of police personnel deployment is: District East, 4,051; District South, 1,209, District West, 530; and SSU and other police units, 2342. The SSU is providing motorcade and security cover at the Karachi airport and hotels as well as long the routes.

The SSU chief said the country’s first Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, comprising highly-trained and well-equipped commandos, including female commandos, would remain alert at the SSU Headquarters as a quick response force to deal with any emergency situation.

The SSU has prepared a brochure having guidelines for distribution among spectators. Besides, personnel have also been assigned duties to guide spectators at the gates of the National Stadium and parking lots.