KARACHI, Nov 5: Sindh police have expressed serious reservations on the appointment of two separate inspector generals for Karachi and the rest of the province, and prepared another proposal to be discussed in a meeting scheduled at Islamabad on Tuesday.

Well-placed sources in the provincial police department told Dawn that other provinces of the country had been reluctant to impose a two-tier police set-up and contested that the proposed system was not in favour of the interest of their provinces.

They said that the Sindh police also reviewed the proposal for the appointment of two IGs — one in Karachi and the other one in the rest of the province — and observed that it would create problems in enforcing and maintaining law and order.

The sources said that the meetings were held at the police head office in the provincial capital, where officials were of the view that law and order in the metropolis was volatile and additional police force was called from interior of the province from time to time to maintain peace in Karachi.

If the IGs for Karachi and the rest of the province were separate, it would take time to call on additional force from the interior of Sindh, as some formalities would have to be met. The sources said that the province should be headed by the IG police and additional IGs could be appointed for Karachi and the interior of Sindh.

Besides a number of other complications, the maintenance of law and order was the major responsibility of the police as well as of the government and the proposed policy system should be made in accordance with the needs of the time, the meeting observed.

High-ranking police officials would proceed to Islamabad to place their proposals and convince authorities to introduce a policing system which would be in the extreme interest of the province and its people, the sources said, adding that following the reservations of the provinces, amendment in the Police Act 1861 was also expected to take place.

Earlier, the sources said, the appointment of two IGs in all the provinces had become compulsory following certain amendments made in the Police Act 1861. They said the proposed system would need the bifurcation of Sindh police in two segments — Karachi police and Sindh police. Budget, resources, equipment, manpower, communication devices, mobile vans, weapons, assets, etc, would also be divided between Karachi and Sindh police.

The proposal being considered presently had been formed at a preliminary stage which suggested that three additional IGs be appointed — one in Karachi, the other one in Hyderabad region and a third one in the Sukkur region — and a provincial IG would head all the additional IGs. But after the promulgation of the amendment in the police act, the proposal was turned down, the sources added.

The proposed police set-up for Karachi would comprise an additional IG assisted by five DIGs and SPs — one each in the 18 Towns. Earlier, four DIGs had been sanctioned under the additional IG Karachi, but the post for DIG, Crime Intelligence Department was created and notified by the provincial government, subsequently raising the number of DIGs to five.

It has been proposed that under the new set-up, different sections would be divided on functional and not on jurisdiction basis, to be headed by the DIGs.

DIG Operations would be responsible for maintenance of law and order and the 18 Town SPs would work under him.