KARACHI, Oct 15: The proposed new police setup for Sindh which was scheduled to be enforced by Oct 12 has been delayed because of a change in the international scenario.

Well-placed sources said the proposed police setup was reviewed in September and it was almost finalized but as subsequent meetings could not take place, it could not be given a final shape.

The sources attributed the delay in the enforcement of the new police system to air-strikes on Afghanistan.

The sources said the government functionaries had be focusing on the law and order situation in the province, especially in Karachi to meet any backlash and protests in the aftermath of air-strikes on Kabul.

“There is no official word whether to proceed with the new police system or to keep it on”, said a senior police official.

He said still there were instructions that the new police system would be implemented on Oct 12, but officially the police department had not yet received any fresh instructions from the provincial government.

Another official said: “The provincial government could not spare time for holding meetings to issue final instructions and release funds accordingly to implement the new system after a change in the international scenario.”

On Sept 1, the provincial government took a decision that Karachi and interior Sindh would have separate and independent IGPs by mid-October.

In a meeting presided over by the Sindh chief secretary, Mohammad Javed Ashraf Hussain, at his office, a number of decisions regarding administrative and financial measures for implementation of police reforms and establishment of the office of IGP Karachi were taken up.

According to the official spokesman for the provincial government, the prosecution, watch and ward, and investigation functions, presently centralized under the superintendent police of a district, would be separated with new independent chains of command.

He said the process of establishment of district public safety commissions would be initiated immediately.

All Karachi, police stations would be re-demarcated to remove any overlapping across towns and union councils, he added.

He said the Sindh police had estimated that Rs450 million would be needed to implement the reforms programme. The chief secretary directed the secretary finance to arrange the required funds for the exercise. The federal government would also be approached to pay for the purchase of new vehicles, wireless sets, and setting up of forensic laboratories.

Presently, the Sindh police comprises 88,000 officials and had an annual budget of Rs6 billion, he claimed.

The sources in the police department said the appointment of two IGs had become compulsory after certain amendments in the Police Act 1861.

Sources said the province would be headed by two separate IGs — one in Karachi and the other one would head Sindh except Karachi. Both the IGPs would be in grade-21. The second requirement of the amended Act was to transform the city police on functional basis.

In Karachi, the IGP would be assisted by five DIGs.

They said the new system would need the bifurcation of Sindh police in two segments — Karachi police and Sindh police. The budget, resources, equipment, manpower, communication devices, mobile vans, weapons, assets, etc., would also be divided between Karachi and Sindh police.

The division of the budgetary allocations, assets, and other resources would be solved gradually, but the foremost problem being faced by the department was the transfer of the manpower.

A proposal to create new posts of the police officers required in the new police setup was sent to the provincial home department so that the proposed posts could be notified, the sources added.