KARACHI: Action taken against 10,000 policemen, 196 dismissed
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, June 10: In the first four months of this year, action was taken against 10,178 officials of the Karachi police. Of them, 196 were dismissed from service.
The police’s statistics show that departmental action, under E&D rules, was taken against 10,178 police officials from January to April. Of them, 732 were given major punishment and 8,714 minor punishment.
196 officials — three sub-inspectors, eight assistant sub-inspectors, 17 head constables and 168 constables — were dismissed from service.
The figures show that 33 officials — four SIs, three ASIs, four head constables and 22 constables — were sent on forced retirement. Two inspectors, two SIs, and four head constables were demoted and their salaries reduced. Action of forfeiture of the approved service was taken against 494 police officials.
Minor punishment, which include stoppage of increment, withholding of promotion, fine, extra-drill quarter guard and censure, were given to 152 inspectors, 480 SIs, 865 ASIs, 675 head constables and 6,542 constables.
Departmental action against 42 police officials were taken for their involvement in criminal activities from January 2001 to May this year. Three ASIs, one head constable and 12 constables were dismissed from service after they were found involved in criminal activities. The service period of three other ASIs, nine head constables and one constable was forfeited, and one SI, two head constables and 10 constables were awarded minor punishment. Departmental action against 87 police officials was in progress.
Police’s record shows that the sanctioned police manpower in the city was 28,658. However, the available strength was 25,445 and the remaining posts are lying vacant. For the operation branch, 11,034 officials, out of the total strength, were available, and 3,948 officials can be called from the police headquarters in emergency.
The operation branch of police has deployed 1,466 officials at foreign missions, consulates and hotels, 2,600 are deputed on guard duty with religious leaders, doctors, and other important persons, 240 are reserved for providing escort to VIPs, and more than 1,800 are posted at the Sindh Secretariat, anti- terrorism courts and session courts, etc.
The police force responsible for law and order comprises 4,026 personnel. There are 100 police stations in the city and on an average 40 officials are posted at one police station, who work for 12 hours in shifts, which means 20 police officials, on an average, are available for one police station a shift.
Police record shows that around 4,000 police personnel are available for maintenance of law and order in the city. This means 2,000 personnel are on duty in a 12-hour shift to prevent crime in this city, spread over 3,527 square km, of 14 million. The highups say the shortage of manpower explained why the prevention of crime is not up to the desired level.
Police killed 15 suspected bandits, in what they claimed encounters, from Jan 1 to May 15 this year. They arrested 393 alleged bandits, 133 proclaimed offenders, and 1,167 absconding suspects. In encounters, three police officials were also killed and eight others injured.
Police also claimed to have recovered 22 Kalashnikov rifles, two shotguns, 892 pistols, 26 rifles, and five hand-grenades in the city.
They handled eight riots, 15 major political or religious events during Muharram, Rabiul Awwal and other occasions. Police were on duty during 12 strike calls and riots due to power failure or water shortage in different areas. They were on duty at 122 protest demonstrations outside Karachi Press Club and provided security to 500 VIPs in the first five months of the year.
The police’s statistics are silent about the number of murders and other crimes, but they have figures on the killing of children from Jan 1 up to June 2. Thirteen children, aged between 13 years and one day, were killed. Six of them were killed because of personal enmity, and two newborns, suspected to be illegitimate, were dumped in isolated places. One of the children was killed after he was sodomized, and one died due to negligence in medical treatment.
An 11-year-old child was killed as he was an eyewitness to a crime and two others were killed as a result of family dispute.
